


God loves her children

by xaidyl



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Canon divergent from episode 79, Canon divergent now i guess, Drinking, Everybody gets their chance to shine, F/M, Fighting, Illness, Relationships are not the main part of the story, Set after chroma conclave, Spoilers throughout, many spoilers, violence probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-08-27 15:04:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8406304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xaidyl/pseuds/xaidyl
Summary: Old friends return but provide new foes, and new challenges. Vox Machina find themselves imprisoned, separated, and in trouble.  Things don't always go as well as they hope, and sometimes you can't rely on anybody else, and have to believe in yourself.





	1. Don't celebrate too soon

 

 

The night was only just beginning, drinks were being handed out from one of the many bottles of wine that Grog had pulled from the bag of holding. A one off mission, back down into the underdark, would be taking place the next day, and the seven of them wanted to celebrate one last night in whitestone before they went underground for some time.

Clouds filled the midnight sky, moon and stars hidden from view, swallowed by the blanket of dark. Vox machina were inside one of the many buildings yet to find an occupant around Whitestone. A wooden house that had only been partially destroyed on one corner, very little furniture other than one large table in the centre room. Still, in Percy's eyes, it was better than drinking back at the castle, and having Cassandra after him for drinking too much. And anyway, a slight change in scenery and privacy for them all was not a bad thing.

It was no secret that they carried wine glasses (and a variety of other glasses) around with them. They came in use on a number of occasions. This was one of them.

Percy took one step upwards, balancing with ease onto the table. He fixed his glasses and cleared his throat, humming a soft thank you to Grog as he was handed one of the cups.

He smiled, shuffling on his feet, then began to speak. “My friends. We have slain dragons, vampires, beasts of all kinds.” He took a large breath inwards, then continued, “Tomorrow, we set off back into the underdark, Allura and Gilmore both warn of a new threat building there. I, for one, do not know what we will find. But tonight, we drink, and celebrate what we have done so far. If we are to die- or-” Percy nodded to Pike, Vex, and Grog, then gave an awkward smile for himself, “even die again, then let it be. To Vox Machina.”

“To Vox Machina!” Came the courts of voices, then the silence as they all downed their drinks. Percy swallowed the red liquid, he had long ago taught himself not to associate it with blood.

 

The table juddered underneath Percy as he watched one of the men make an incredibly graceful jump upwards, and land on one pointed foot next to him. “Move over Percival.” He laughed, and span his cup round in his hand.

“Let us not speak of death, my friends. Let us rejoice. Grog, have you any more wine?” Vax asked, looking to the goliath who stood on the ground, but was still at eye level with him.

“Erm. I don't 'ave any of this bottle left.” He held the bottle upside down to prove there was none of the liquid left.

Vex raised an eyebrow, and leant sideways so she was looking down into the bag of holding. “Don't you have your jug with you, Grog dearest? Can't you summon us up something.”

“Well- 'bout the jug-” Grog turned a slight shade of pink, barely noticeable to somebody who didn't know him. “I may not be able to use that 'till tomorrow…” He looked downwards, hiding his face slightly.

There was a slight pause as awkward looks were shared, until Keyleth spoke up, nose still half buried in the now empty glass of wine. “Why don't we go out and get some drinks?”

“I hate to say it Keyleth, but I don't think we’ll-” Percy started, but was interrupted.

“Come on Percy, don't be such a downer- we can find somebody who has some alcohol.” Vex laughed, shooting a smile towards Percy.

“Yeah! Come on! Me and Grog are ready, aren't we?” Pike was almost shouting, looking up from knee height of her tall friend.

Grog looked down to her, held out fist for her to punch, then smiled and nodded his head. “Yep, 'm good. Twins?”

“Sounds good.” They answered in union. Vex held out a hand to help Percy down from the table.

“Well, I guess. But I don't want you wrecking anybodys house.”

 

Vax jumped down off the table, almost landing onto Keyleth. “Like we’d ever do that, Percival.” He laughed, and grabbed the girl's hand. Keyleth giggles as she was pulled out of the room, closely followed by Grog and Pike. Vex smiled at Percy, then disappeared herself out of the house. He sighed, pushed his glasses up his nose once more, then slowly paced out.

 

“Well, don't worry about my opinion then guys!” Shouted the one man left in the room.

“Scanlan, when would you ever not want to go out drinking?” Came the slightly muffled answer from Vex.

Scanlan raised his eyebrows, brushed down his trousers, then muttered under his breath, “You make a good point.” Then tottered out on his little legs.

  


Whitestone was not yet fully recovered. Percy wasn't sure if it would ever get back to the way he remembered it, but then again, he was a small boy then, surrounded by his family. Those times would never return. But, his hometown had been held back by the attacks and overall dictatorship that the Briarwoods had over it. People were still rebuilding, still full of fear. They had no such need for things like fancy shops, or even bars. Of course, the was a couple of taverns in the town, but the both of them were no grand affair, serving more as guest houses than pubs, and there was no way they would be open at that sort of time. Especially not to the party that Percy travelled with. Still, despite his objections, he walked with the six of them, as they trailed from house to house, probably waking up half the population with the rackett that they made.

It was then surprising to him, when they came across an establishment he had not noticed before.

Right on the far side from the castle, a building that did not fit into the jigsaw puzzle that created Whitestone. Jagged at the edges, bolted together and roughly painted. One would have assumed it was just a bad rebuild, had they been looking in black and white. Yet when you looked further, the paint was all the colours of the rainbow, arcane lights and smoke dancing in the entrance way, inviting in like a clawed hand. Unusual in its abstractness, reminded Percy of Gilmore's shop, when it once stood. Still, despite the memories of Gilmore, he couldn't help but get a funny feeling about this place. A new shop appearing that he had never heard of before in the small town where he grew up.

 

Of course Vox Machina would be going straight in.

 

Vax’ildan saw the tavern as less of a threat, and more of an opportunity. Clasping Keyleth’s hand tightly in his own, he span her around, then politely held the door open for her, watched her red hair float up and down in her already semi drunken state. He was no stranger to weird places, they were often the best place for a pickpocket to hide (not that he would consider shrinking that low again) and were also, in his opinion, the best place to find an exotic drink. He followed the druid in, senses automatically overwhelmed by the bright yellows and oranges, music blaring that could not be heard from outside. Sweet smells of different kinds of alcohol he was yet to try, sticking to the nostrils, clinging onto him. The movement of the room was intoxicating in itself, a couple of people in the far back dancing together like they were zombies, then, right by the entrance, a pale man in his mid forties, leaning over on the other side of the bar. The man only looked up as they entered, and did not even look surprised by the entrance of the tiny and tall trio of Pike, Scanlan, and Grog.

“Come on Kiki, how about I buy us both a drink?” he smiled, as this time she dragged him over to the bar, eye to eye with the barkeep.

“Really? You have money on you?” She giggled, then let go of his hand, walking over to Grog, and speaking with him instead. Vax took no notice, she did have a point. Vex carried the money for the both of them, not able to trust her brother not to spend it or lose it. He instead turned his attention back to the brooding man behind the bar.

 

Vax leaned down, elbow at a perfect right angle, so he was just about at eye level with the sitting man. The man gave a slight smile, but did not speak.

“May I order some drinks for my friends and I?” Vax grinned.

The man rubbed the slight stubble that was on his chin, and looked around. “Certainly.” He spoke, words elongated and curling, not with the normal Whitestone accent. “Will that be five of you? Or, I suspect, more?”

“Indeed, actually-” Vax took a step backwards and held out welcoming arm. “Percival, come get a drink. And sister, join us will you?”

“You want me to pay, don't you brother?” Vex smirked, but leaned onto the bar in an identical manner to how her brother had just seconds earlier. “How much, to supply us what ever drinks we want, throughout the whole night?”

“That won't be necessary, miss.” He smiled. “Not for you, heroes of Emon.” The word heroes was said through slightly gritted teeth, but at that point, Vax just assumed it was an accidental pause in his speech.

“Well, I'm not going to argue with free drinks.” His sister smiled. “Come, Percy. They have a dance floor.”

 

Percival had that face of concern that Vax had seen many a time before. Little wrinkled that frowned above his thick eyebrows, the tip of his bottom lip sharply held by his front teeth. “I'll join you in a second, dear.” The girl smiled at him, placed a hand gently on his shoulder for a slight second, the strode off with grace towards the other four, who were awkwardly standing around the two dancers as Scanlan attempted (and failed) to make conversation. Percy did not follow Vex with his eyes, like Vax did, instead kept them firmly fixed on the barkeep.

“I don't think I've seen you here before?” Percy did not move his gaze as he spoke.

The man did not stutter. “I am new. A refugee. I lost my family when the dragons came to Emon. And I saw an opportunity to set up business here.”

“You are a businessman then?” The gunslinger was no less polite than usual, if Vax hadn't know him, he would have assumed he was just making polite conversation. Vax, however, had known Percy for a while. And he could tell that he did not trust this man.

 

Maybe he had a point. Percy knew Whitestone better than any of them. But Percy was also all too often untrustworthy of somebody who was only a small oddity in the sea of life. It was not always a bad thing. Lack of trust from all of them had saved their skin more than a number of times. Still, all this was was a man offering them free alcohol. Even if Percy did distrust this man, there was little chance of persuading Grog, Pike and Vex to turn down an offer like that.

 

The barkeeper did not answer Percy, but instead reached under the bar, pull out a small crystal glass, then fill it with a clear liquid, from a tall glass bottle. “I sell drinks.” He slid the glass to Percy. “Calm your nerves, sir. Then go and dance with your girlfriend.”

“Ah- actually she's not technically-”

Vax stood forward, and clasped Percy's hand around the glass. “Relax for a night, Percival. We’ll worry tomorrow.”

Percy gave a worried look downwards towards Vax, but lifted the glass to his lips, and swallowed it down, smiled at the Barkeep, then strode off.

“Six more of those, please. For me and my friends.” Vax gave an almost apologetic smile to the man, then gestured over to the group of his friends.

  


Some amount of drinks and a large amount of dancing later, and things were starting to get a little blurry. Keyleth, in particular, looked on the verge of passing out, she had spent a good half hour already leaning on Vax’s shoulder. Although it was not the most entertaining of bars they had been into, Scanlan was bringing it up there. The music that was playing was no match to his blaring singing, and thrusting dancing. Percy had lightened up a little after a few drinks, bringing back his 'well you only live once’ attitude (which was full of irony after the incident with Ripley). Him and Vex, however, had almost given up on dancing and drinking, and made the decision to retire for the night, and left the bar with the instructions to Vax and Grog (who at that point were the most sober) to not let Keyleth get too drunk, make sure Scanlan goes back to Whitestone castle, and to remind Pike that although she _can_ win bar fights, it's probably not best for her to get into too many. Vax straightened up Keyleth, then gave them a wave goodbye. He had some idea what they were going to do. He didn't mention it, Vex could be teased about it tomorrow.

As his sister and her 'boyfriend’ left, Vax left Keyleth with Grog and took another walk towards the barkeep, who haven't spoken to them, but had been following their every move. He seemed to smile suddenly, looking behind the approaching rogue, and Vax noticing this span around, but it was only Pike, jogging to catch up with him. That was odd, although it was not unusual for people to be joyful at Pike’s approach, this man was certainly not injured.

Pike climbed up onto one of the barstools, and placed her hands down on the table. Vax stood next to her, but did not take a seat. He put his hands on the table in a similar way. The barkeeper’s face was still lit up with smile, as he reached under the bar, and poured some liquid, out of view from Pike and Vax.

“Your hair’s come undone, Pickle.” Vax pointed out, pulling gently at one of the loose blonde hairs.

Pike chucked, her face slightly ruddy from alcohol. “Yeah, that was Scanlan. Although I can't remember why.”

“Here-” he span a lock round his finger, “I'll fix it for you.” He then spent a moment tucking in and pinning back various strips of golden hair, so it was neat once again (or as next as Vax managed to get it, his hands weren't quite as slight as the usually were)

By the time he looked back to the table, there was a glass in front of each of them. Just two, there wasn't one for any of the others. Inside the glasses was a green liquid, dark and thick. The man pushed it towards them.

“What's this?” Vax asked, not picking up the glass.

“A drink. I only had a little left, I thought you two could have it.” His smile was still large, still unnerving.

Pike turned around to the others, who were all cheering and clapping as Scanlan slid across a table. “What about the others?”

The bar keeper laughed “You two, God's children. The war cleric and the raven rogue- the outside of this plain can be an evil place, I know more than most. Why would you not be the most deserving of the last two glasses of this fine liquor?”

Vax gave it a sniff, despite its odd appearance, it smelt sweet, an aroma similar to the flowers that Keyleth created. Still, why was it that this man would give them the last of his finest drink?

“Are you sure?” Pike asked, swirling the liquid.

“If I were you, I'd drink it now.” His voice dimminuated into a whisper, “I don't think you'll ever experience something like it again.” He almost spat through a still smiling mouth.

“Well.” Pike muttered. “If it's really that good?”

She lifted the glass up to Vax’s, and tapped it carefully. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.” Vax muttered back, then downed the drink.

 

The appearance was definitely deceiving. It was a warm liquid, that pooled in a pleasurable way down his throat (in a way that only certain things had gone down his throat before, but Vax preferred not to talk about those nights). It was sweet, but not too sweet that it was sickly. The same thought of flowers came into his head, the taste of nature. Then it tasted like the flowers had been burnt. The aftertaste was horrible, the true colours underneath the skin of sweetness.

“That was- nice?” Pike smiled, although her face didn't match what she said.

The barkeep smiled, and pulled the glasses away from them. “Well good. We're closing now, so you and your friends should be going.”

“Already?” Vax asked, leaning onto the bar, but was quickly pushed away.

“Yes. Goodbye.” The lights and music stopped suddenly, and the two dancers disappeared into thin air. Scanlan stopped his dreadful drunken dad dancing, and looked around confused. Grog pulled Keyleth onto his back, and gave a look to Pike, who shrugged her shoulders. “Go on, leave, we’re closed.” The bar keeper shouted once again.

 

The five of them found themselves out on the street. Standing there in a circle in the dark of night.

“I think we should go back.” Grog pointed out

Pike punched him lightly in the arm, although it was a little harder than intended. “Yeah Grog! Big day tomorrow!”

“Alright Vax. Pick up your girlfriend.” Grog spoke jokily, but still dropped an almost passed out Keyleth to the ground, Vax having to run up just to catch her in time. “Scanlan?”

“Whatever you want baby-” he smiled, and sloppily tipped his beret.

Pike sighed, and violently grabbed him by the wrist. “I can't tell- whether you're drunk- or just Scanlan.”

“Bit of both, Pikey. Have you spoken to the cube in-” his sentence was not finished, as he was dragged away in the direction of the castle.

  


Vax felt Keyleth stir in his arms, as he struggled to support her whilst walking.

“Hey Vax?” She slurred.

“Yes Kiki?”

“You look nice today.” She smiled up at him.

He placed a kiss onto her forehead. “Thank you. So do you.”

  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Start life without the sun

“Come on Pike, we could do with a heal!” Vex shouted across the dark cave, that they were barely managing to keep alight as they fought.

“I'm trying, I'm trying.” She shouted as she slid across the floor to the bleeding form of Keyleth.

Pike held her hands on the girl's chest, and a golden light flowed from her hands, although it was a little dimmer than usual. Still, Keyleth’s eyes opened and she sat up, thanking Pike.

The cleric had to duck as a claw clanged across the shield on her back, then looked up to the woman who was disappearing into the shadows, notching an arrow. “Vex, do you know what these are?”

“I don't know, I don't think they're natural to the underdark. “ She shouted, and shot the arrow into the creatures armoured side.

“Pike!” She heard another cry, this time Percy, and had to run to the through the cave once again, although despite her increased strength, it was tiring. Percy was lying prone on the floor, a gash across his chest, but still firing relentlessly at the creature. Pike gave him a quick heal, and the bleeding stopped as the gash stitched itself somewhat together. Percy grimaced at her touch, but relaxed as soon as she cast the spell.

Fighting in close quarters was always difficult, less so for herself, Vax and Grog, but for the two rangers and the other spell casters, it was difficult for them to stay out of harm's way and still provide the best attack. Being in the underdark also seemed to have some draining effect on her spells that she hadn't experienced in a long time. The light that Sarenrae gave her was duller, she wasn't giving as much life back to her injured friends.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a flash of black, Vax teleporting into the wound he created only milliseconds earlier, landing onto the creature that Percy was firing at. However, despite the grace of the attack, the landing was stumbled, and as quick as he was teleporting into the attack, Vax was face planting into the wall.

“You okay?” Pike called out, slipping out of range from the attack.

Vax a little dazed, looked around. “Fine. Just fucked up the landing. That's all."

“Look out Pike buddy!” Grog's war hammer came slamming down on top of the creature, splatting it onto the cave floor. “Two down, one to go!” He shouted, swinging his weapon in rage, and began his charge.

“I got it!” Answered Scanlan in shout, tottering over to the insect like being, as he plunged his blade into what Pike assumed was the closest thing to a backside that he could find. The creature gave a dying screech, and collapsed to the ground. “Well I wasn't expecting that to work.” He laughed, and stared at his dagger, dusting down his purple jacket.

“Yeah, nice one Scanlan,” Vex laughed, slightly sarcastically, appearing from the cave side shadows, and pulling the bow over her shoulder. “But does anyone have any idea what they were? Or why they attacked us?”

“Something left behind from before, maybe? My guess is that they were hunting for food, we just happened to fall under the category of prey.” Percy spoke, standing up whilst straightening out his collar and coat.

 

Keyleth sat herself up, leaning up against the cave wall whilst trying to wipe the blood off her arms and stomach. Her eyes flickered a little, and she looked up to the group. “Can we rest?” She mumbled. Grog walked over and planted himself down next to her, hitting the stone with a thump. He handed her a healing potion, lifting the green vial from the bag of holding. She took it and swallowed it down quickly, the soft pink colour returning to her face. “Thank you.”

“I'm sorry,” Pike explained, she rubbed her holy symbol around her neck, as if she was trying to clean it. “I can't seem to heal as well.”

“Maybe Sarenrae is struggling to hear you?” Vex suggested.

“No, I can feel her the same as always. It's just- I don't know, it feels harder to give out the power. “ She sighed.

“The underdark gets to us all, dear. Isn't that right brother? Nice face plant there.” Vex turned to her brother, who stood rubbing his head, not understanding how he could have made that mistake, having never overshot the landing from whisper before. “Did you hit your head badly, you look a little pale?”

Vax shook his head, but stumbled over and leaned himself against the wall anyway, softly shoving into Keyleth. “I don't think a quick rest would be a bad idea.”

“Do you wanna-” Grog held out another potion, but it was pushed away.

“We're better off saving them. How many do we have left?”

The goliath reached into the bag of holding, pulling out bottles one by one. “One, two, three…”

“Four?” Scanlan attempted to help.

Grog looked up at him, reached into the bag, and pulled out an empty hand. “No. That's it.”

“Oh.”

 

“Just nobody get too hurt then. We can't afford to waste healing.” Percy suggested, then holstered his gun.

“Percy darling, you're bleeding out of your mouth.” Vex carefully rubbed a spot of red from his cheek. “Take a potion, we can always find some more in the old camps.”

“Fair enough.” He took a vial from Grog, and slowly sipped it down. “Much better, actually. Thank you.”

“So we stay here for half an hour, rest up.” Scanlan explained.

Vex nodded, and walked over to one of the fallen beasts, kicking it with her foot. A loud metallic clang echoed across the stone walls. “This is not natural. We need to start covering our tracks.”

Scanlan looked further down the cave, then back at Vex, with a worried expression on his face. “We'll get going as soon as possible then.”

 

Vex sat, bow across her legs, watching the rest of her party in various states of injury. They waited for about half an hour, catching their breath and snacking after the fight. The decision was made between Scanlan and Vex to keep going for approximately three hours, then to set up the mansion. They had been in the underdark for days now, almost fully adjusted to the darkness and pressure it put upon them, the light above the ground was almost forgettable. Vex was fine with it. She knew the terrain well, she had traveled there before. The rest of the party, with the exclusion of Percy, filled themselves with the same sense of confidence. They had Vex with them? Why would they need to worry? They had only got stronger, more experienced, since the last time they fought down here, when they took on the beholder. Percy was concerned. Vex could tell, he had that same worried expression, that same look as if he knew that something was wrong.

Vex waited for them for the half an hour. She sat, inspecting her arrows, tapping them on the ground, and engaging in the occasional conversation with her friends. After she got bored of waiting, and conscious of the time that they were wasting, she stood up, grabbed her brother by the collar, and dragged him onto his feet.

“We need to keep going.” She spoke. “We don't have-”

She was interrupted by the groan of Vax, pushing back against her hands. “Fine, but can you let go of my cape, please, Vex'ahlia.”

Vex dropped him, and looked to Keyleth. “Are you good to go?”

“Yeah. Much better.” She pulled herself up using the stone wall, and cracked her knuckles.

“Percy, darling?”

Percy smiled up at her. “Right as rain, my dear.”

Vex span around to see Grog and Scanlan, standing slightly further down the tunnel. That left only Pike, who, as always, was slower than the rest of the party. She looked a little paler, a little less glowing than usual, her face plastered with an expression of worry.

“Don't worry, Pike. Your magic is as strong as ever.” Keyleth smiled, tapping Pike on one of her metallic shoulder pads.

“I sure hope so.”

  


Vex kept an eye on her friend, as she lead the party down the tunnel, past the stone walls that looked like the same texture repeated over and over again. She walked side by side with Vax, the two twins the only two able to walk comfortably next to each other, as she found their way, and he checked that they weren't going to fall down a pit (or something of a similar nature.)

Behind her, she could hear the conversations of her friends. Although she made sure she almost always walked in silence, the rest of the party certainly did not. Pike's voice was only as loud as her armour, both Keyleth and Grog seemed to forget that they needed to be quiet, and Scanlan had not been silent for more than a minute in his life ever.

 

Scanlan's voice was one of the loudest, his singing echoing from wall to wall. “Back again, the underdark, all I can smell, is Grog's farts.”

“Erm, s'cuse me.”

“Is that Grog's farts we can smell?” Keyleth asked, looking back to Percy.

“I believe,” he coughed, and continued, “that what you can smell is sulphur, it's not too uncommon underground.”

“But it could still be Grog's farts?” Scanlan pointed out.

Percy laughed. “Yes.”

“Do you think people who like down here have to deal with a lot of farts? Where do they float off to?” Keyleth asked, whilst demonstrating the airflow with a short gust cantrip. “Do you think that mind flayers fart?”

“I don't know. Maybe we should try it out? Have you got a spell for that Kiki?” Scanlan sounded as if he was contain laughter.

“Erm, I don't think so? Well maybe, do you think that-”

  


Vex’s listening in was stopped when her brother tapped her on her shoulder. He looked straight into her eyes, and lightly grabbed her wrist.

“I don't feel very good.”

Vex looked him up and down. “You've hit your head. You're bound to.”

“Yeah, can we stop?”

Vex sighed. “We have to keep going, we don't have enough food or potions or anything to last us.”

“Vex.”

“Keep walking. Do you want some water? Or Pike to have a look at you?” Vex offered. Her brother shook his head, and put a hand over his mouth. He stopped, and leaned against the wall.

“Okay?”

“‘think I'm gonna throw up.” His face turned a light shade of green.

“Really? Here?” She asked, holding him up. “Wait there a second, guys.” She called to the rest of the party, who were pretty much caught up with them.

“What's wrong?” Percy asked, taking a step, and pulling his gun out.

Vex shrugged at him “Don't know. I think it's because he hit his head.”

“Could very well be.” Percy explained. Putting his gun back, and walking over to the rogue, who was visibly shaking. He put a hand to his forehead. “You feel a little hot, I guess, not an uncommon symptom of concussion, I would suggest that you have some water, a healing potion and-” He was stopped as he felt something wet and warm on his shoes, soaking through his socks, accompanied by the all too familiar and disturbing retching sound. 

 

 

Vex spoke up after a long moment of silence. “Better out than in, I guess.”

“Sorry Percival.” Vax muttered, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

“Feeling better, brother? Can we keep going?”

“Mmm.” He mumbled.

“I'm just gonna cover that up.” Grog explained, tipping handfuls of tracelessness dust on top of the mess. “Do you need summit to clean your shoes Percy?”

“Yes, actually, wouldn't be such a bad idea.”

Keyleth walked over, and took her boyfriends hand, planting a slight kiss into his dark hair. She looked around on his forehead, checking for any bumps. “Pike, do you want to have a look?”

Pike, who was standing at a distance along with Scanlan. She looked a little pale herself, averting her gaze. “You know what,  maybe I'll look a bit later, if you couldn't find anything, then I'm not sure I will.”

Vex nodded at her, albeit a little concerned, and turned back to her brother. “Do you want to sit on Trinket for a bit?”

He nodded, leaning onto Keyleth, hair falling over his face.

Vex popped the bear out of her necklace, Trinket landing with a thump and a confused look onto the ground. “Can you carry your uncle for a bit, buddy?”

Trinket gave a soft growl, and rubbed his head onto Vex.

“Thank you, baby.”  Vex hugged him back, then turned to her brother. “On you get then. Might be a bit of a squish.”

Vax pulled himself up onto the back of the bear gripping tightly onto the dark brown fur.

Keyleth pushed his hair back. “Do you think a potion would help? I didn't take a spell today because we had Pike with us.”

Grog pulled one out, and placed it in the druids hand. “I think there's only one left after this.”

“We’ll need to rest then, sooner or later.” Vex hummed, and looked to Vax. “Sip it, or you'll just throw it back up.”

Vax rolled his eyes, looking a little impatient, and swallowed it down whole, grimacing a little as he did.

“Better?”

He coughed, voice a little rough “A little.”

“Just please don't throw up on Trinket. I didn't bring anything to clean his fur with.” Vex laughed. Vax didn't laugh back, just gripped his knuckles tighter into the fur.

  


“Right! So now that's sorted, can we be on our way?” Scanlan spoke, stepping forward in front of Pike.

“One moment, if you would.” Percival, who was sat on the floor rubbing a rag on his shoes. He didn't look up, or stop his movement as he spoke.

Vax sighed and mumbled into Trinkets fur. “Percival I didn't mean- well, if I was going to-”

“Don't worry. Not the first time I've been acquainted with your vomit, and I'm sure it won't be the last.”

“Come on Percy. They don't have to be shiny, I'm sure Vex doesn't care.” Scanlan's gnomish voice was loud. Too loud. The usual joking nature was not a problem, it was the fact that this was still a mission. Sure, it was probably nothing compared to dragons. But the longer they kept joking, the more she kept worrying that something would go wrong. It was almost Percy like, this feeling of anxiety. Vex must have been picking it up from him.

 

As they set off once again, continuing on their journey, Vex just caught a conversation from the back of the party. She lead at the front, especially now her brother was out of the balance, but that did not mean she wasn't aware of every little thing that happened.

“Are you okay, Pike buddy?” Grog asked, in a lower than normal voice.

Pike laughed nervously. “Yes, don't worry. I just needed a second of rest, this armour gets a little heavy sometimes.”

Grog sounded confused. “But you're strong? You're a monstah?”

“I know, I know. Maybe it's just today? Sarenrae feels far away.” she sighed.

“But I thought she loved you? She punched a dragon for you?”  The Goliath's voice sounded even more confused, getting quieter as the distance increased, but still audible.

“Oh- no- of course she loves me. I love her. I don't know Grog.”

“Do you want me to carry you? Piggy back?” Grog offered.

The cleric sighed again. “Actually, that would be nice. Thank you Grog.”

The sound of changing resonated through the tunnel as Grog pulled the tiny gnome onto his shoulders. Vex turned around for just a second, Pike was half a foot of hitting her head on the cave ceiling, but looked comfortable enough.

 

As they walked, the ranger kept one of her eyes on her brother, watched as he shifted into of the great bear, then eventually stilled. He slept silently, as per usual, one arm almost dragging on the stone floor. She chuckled to herself, pulled his arm up so it flopped onto Trinkets shoulders, then patted the bear himself on his head. They looked after each other. They always had done. Vax would carry Vex when she was sick or hurt, and vice versa. It had always been that way, and (despite how much they could love the others in their group) it would stay that way.

 

Well. Hopefully.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys. :)


	3. Be healed in the morning

Vax had fallen asleep. And as Keyleth turned around, she realised that Pike had too. She couldn't blame them. Her legs were starting to hurt.

 

She had argued for the use of mist walk, but was persuaded against it. They needed the use of the more powerful spells, and besides, searching the the caves wasn't made much quicker in mist form, due to the low ceilings and tight walls. Nethertheless, Keyleth was glad when they stopped in a small clearing, the stone walls littered with curves and orifices. Scanlan pulled out the tiny door that produced the mansion, and was about to throw it on the ground when Vex stopped his hand.

 

“Scanlan?” She whispered, “Don't you want to hide it or something? Behind one of the inlets?”

 

Scanlan raised an eyebrow. “Why?” He chuckled “You know it's invisible, right? Nobody will see it?”

 

Vex looked down at him. “Quiet, they're sleeping.” She sighed. “And anyway. That's not what I meant.”

 

Scanlan laughed, threw down the tiny door, and cast the spell. “Go on in everybody, some sleep and some chicken will do us all good.”

 

Keyleth laughed at that, but was the only one that did. All the people around her were either asleep, completely sincere or already strolling into the mansion. She followed Scanlan in, just catching Percy's lean in and whisper into Vex's ear.

 

“I agree.” She just overheard the private whisper, then Percy strolled off, scouting round the cave. “I'll be just a sec, just setting up some simple traps, see if anybody comes through.”

 

Nobody stopped him, and the rest fell in line and stumbled sleepily into the mansion. Once they past through the wide open door, onto the carpeted hallway, Keyleth bent down and picked her boyfriend up off the bear. He was smaller than her by a fair amount, and both Vax was slim enough to weigh about the same as an unarmoured Pike, so it was not a difficult task. As the pulled him up into a sitting position, she turned to one of the air-like servants, and spoke softly to them. “Can we have a glass of water?”

 

The servant nodded, and started to disappear off into the kitchen, before being stopped in it’s tracks by Grog. “Make that two.” He added. Keyleth glanced over to him, and saw he was doing a similar thing to Pike as she was to Vax, gently cradling her in his muscled arms. In the corner of her eye, Keyleth just caught Vex, peering out of the door, eyes presumably locked on Percy.

 

She felt Vax shift a little in her arms, as mumbled “Not chicken water.” into her neck.

 

Keyleth laughed, and placed her hand to his forehead. “Yeah. Er- you're a little warm.” she pointed out, his skin was slick with sweat, and gave off a feeling of unnatural heat. Not hot like 'fire hands’ hot, but hot like 'something is wrong’ hot. Nethertheless, warm was an understatement.

 

“Yeah, I think it's 'cause I hit my head.” Vax slurred his speech a little. “I kinda wanna go back to sleep.”

 

“Is that a good idea?” Keyleth turned around, seeking assistance from Pike, but finding the only answer to her query to be a yawn and a sniffle.

 

Vax hummed, and rubbed his head softly on the underside of her chin.

 

“Well, if you're really that tired?” she sighed, and pulled him up fully into her arms. “But you're not staying in a room by yourself.”

 

“Why would I ever want that, Kiki?” He chuckled quietly.

 

Keyleth smiled at the others, and pulled her boyfriend so he was supported fully when his sister walked in, Percy in tow. “Vex, were going to bed- I thought”

 

“So soon darling? Don't you want to eat?”

 

“I'll get a servant to bring us something, I think.” She spoke whilst backing down the corridor.

 

Percy smiled. “Sleep well.”

 

“Thank you.” Keyleth smiled, and noticed Grog nodding at the same time, as he (with Pike) walked past her and into one of the bedrooms.  

  
  


Vax coughed weakly as she placed him down on the bed as gently she could. He shuffled backwards and leaned against the headboard. He grabbed one of the red silken covers, and pulled it over his shoulders. “It's nice to be in a bed.” He laughed, although still sounding tired. “Sit with me Kiki.”

The druid sat down cautiously, taking off her branch like tiara and placing it on one of the side tables. She spread her skirt out neatly underneath herself, and leaned back to be next to her boyfriend. Normally on a bed like this they would be doing something else, but this wasn't the time, there wasn't the mood. Vax looked vacant, his dark grey eyes focused on the far wall, dark hair starting to escape from the pony tail. He coughed again.

 

“Maybe I should try a spell- you know. See if it sorts this out?” Keyleth suggested, pulling the strands of his hair back. “I don't have greater restoration today? Do you think a normal healing spell would work?”

 

He didn't look away from the wall. “Worth a shot, I guess.”

 

She lit up her hands with the glowing fire like magic. Placing them on his chest, just above his heart. He took a deep breath in and looked deep into her eyes for a few seconds, then blinked twice, deeply exhaling.

 

“Did it- do you feel better?”

 

Vax stretched, and looked around. “A little, actually. Maybe it was the bump to the head.”

 

Keyleth hummed in response, then leaned back down. “Goodnight.”

 

Vax leaned his head on her shoulder, and pulled one of the blankets over his legs. Shutting his eyes, he whispered a quiet goodnight, then fell quiet. Keyleth watched him for about an hour, happy he was getting better, then after some time, pulled them both down to be lying, and drifted off into a deep sleep.

  
  


Scanlan awoke when he presumed it was morning. Lying down, taking up very little of his deep purple, king sized bed. He stretched out his small legs, and threw off the crumpled blanket. The fake light that he had designed to shine through was in his eyes. That needed changing. When they got home, probably.

 

Slipping into one of his dressing gowns, he threw open the door, and strutted out into the hallway. As he walked, Scanlan pulled his hair round, brushed it with his fingers, and pinned it back up again. He sang as he moved, humming soft tunes under his breath as he would usually, then slamming his backside down on one of the dining room chairs.

 

“Vex, Percy!” He exclaimed. “Nice to see you up bright and early.”

 

Vex laughed. “Not really, darling. I think you slept in.”

 

“Really?” He exclaimed.

 

Percy, who had his arm around Vex's shoulder, nodded his head, and took a bite from whatever he was eating.

 

“What's breakfast?” Scanlan looked around at the food on the plates.

 

Vex handed him a plate. “Chicken on toast. But I think the toast is chicken too.” She pulled a face that showed her dislike at the repetition of the meat. Scanlan didn't mind it. Food was food. He took a bite from the bread, swallowing a big mouthful, then downing a glass of water.

 

“Are the others up yet?” He asked, wiping the crumbs from his face, chuckling at the disgust on Percy's face.

 

“Grog came down, but went back up to see Pike. Keyleth and my brother are still asleep, I believe. He’s a bit poorly.” She emphasised the word poorly, laughing at the way it sounded.

  


“Pike too.” Scanlan added. “Is there a bug going around?”

 

“Quite possibly. Although I'm not certain how they would of contracted it. Or why they are the only two that are sick.” Percy explained.

 

“Should we head back?”

 

“We've dealt with worse.” Vex pointed out. “If it becomes a problem, Keyleth can just transport us back home.”

 

Scanlan swallowed another bite. “Cool. I'll go get dressed then.” He stood up, leaving most of the food on his plate. “Somebody get everybody else. We should head off.”

 

“I'm on it.” Vex smiled, and watched as Scanlan strode back to his bedroom.

  


Once he was there, he pulled on his pantaloons, undershirt and tunic, then pulled his beret over his ears. It took him seconds, no need to look good for anybody in the underdark, especially now he had no need to flirt with Pike (Kaylie was much more important) although he would never admit that to her. He laced his boots, polished the leather with his sleeve. His bathroom was ensuite to his bedroom, the only one in the mansion. It was large, with a great bath and heated tiled floors. After doing his business, he headed out, and ran into Grog in the hallway.

 

“Hey buddy.” He smiled, holding out a hand that Grog slapped, Scanlan reeling back at the strength of it. “How you doing?”

 

“Yeah, good. Gettin' food for Pike.” He gestured to the plate he was holding in his other hand, tiny against his grey fingers.

 

He raised his eyebrows. “She okay?”

 

“Tired. She carries a lot with all 'at armour. She's strong but she's little.” He turned round on the spot and walked into Pike's room.

 

Scanlan thought of what he carried. Not much, excluding the occasional instrument. Most of his power came from within. He was both the smallest and slowest, and most powerful member of the group simultaneously. Most and least useful, depending on the circumstances.

 

“Well, if you need anything, buddy, just call!” He shouted, although the door was already shut. “I’ll be outside of you need me!”

  
  


The door of the mansion was an odd thing. Scanlan had designed it to be invisible to the onlooker, if he hadn't invited them in, but it also functioned as a normal door. A person could stand and watch from the inside, and from the outside they would look as if they were looking through from another dimension, which, technically they were.

 

He let the door shut behind him as he walked out. Same depressing cave system. He sauntered out into the main area of the clearing. Same as it was before. Dark, boring, cold. Ready for another day of walking.

 

“Scanlan!” Came a voice from behind him. He span around on the spot. Percy stood at the door.

 

“Yep?”

 

“Can you let somebody know if you're heading outside alone?” He asked, looking down the tunnel that they would need to head down.

 

Scanlan shuffled on his feet like a disgraced child. “I told Grog… What are you looking at?”

 

“I set a trap, of sorts.” He explained, stepping out of the mansion. “But it appears to have disappeared.”

 

“Oh.” That wasn't good.

 

Percy bit his lip. “You haven't moved it, by any chance?”

 

“No.”

 

“We need to hurry then. And be quieter.” He turned to head back into the mansion. “Come.”

 

Scanlan ran as fast as he could with his little legs to get next to Percy. “What do you think could have been past?”

 

“I don't know. More of what we fought earlier, presumably.”

 

“They won't have seen us, not possible.” Scanlan explained, confident in his magical skill.

Percy turned to look at him. “Unless they saw us set up camp.”

 

The gnome hummed in response, then changed the subject. “Where did Vex go?”

 

“With Vax and Keyleth. They'll only be a minute, they're having breakfast.” He stopped to let Scanlan walk through the door first.

 

“Thank you. So we're nearly set to go. Coolio.”

 

“Seriously? 'Coolio’? Which bar did you pick that one up at?” Percy scoffed.

 

“Kaylie, actually.” Scanlan smiled, and strode into the dining room, Percy shortly behind him.

 

Vex was sat on the table, rather than on one of the chairs, striped leggings revealing not so muscled, slim legs. Her brother was on the floor by a table leg, picking at a piece of chicken with his fingernails. He was fully armoured, and had his weapons in his belt, so must have found some time to get ready.

 

“Morning.” He called as they walked in, but didn't look up from the plate. Not unusual practice for the half elven boy.

 

“Morning. Where's Keyleth?” Scanlan asked.

 

Vex span around so she was no longer sprawled across the table, but sat up with her legs dangling over her brother's shoulders. He pushed them off, and pulled a disgusted face. “She went to give Pike a quick healing spell. Said it helped my brother, so should work in the same way.”

 

“Are you feeling okay now?” Percy asked, looking to Vax. He must not have been there for that conversation.

 

Vex put his plate onto the floor, food still on it. “Better, Freddie. Tired, though.”

 

“Good. We can be off then.” He sighed. “I want to get as far as we can as quick as we can. I'm not sure we're as safe as we first thought we were.”

 

Vex chuckled. “Percy, darling, you were worried from the start. It's in your nature.”

 

“Yes, but I'm sure it wasn't my 'nature’ that removed the trap we set up last night.”

 

Nobody answered, just shared the same worried silence.

 

“We've fought dragons.” Vax pointed out, breaking the quiet.

 

Percy looked a little less worried. “Indeed. Not to say something else will not be worse.”

  
  
  


The same silence returned again. It lasted for around ten seconds, before the dining room swung open, revealing a flexing Grog, Pike perched upon his shoulder.

 

“'Sup bitches?” He shouted, then returned to being a little quieter, noticing the atmosphere of the room. “We off?” He stopped and looked around. “Why so quiet?”

 

“No matter.” Percy walked towards the door. “We're going as soon as we find Keyleth.”

 

“Right here!” The red headed druid appeared from behind Grog, proving once again the Goliath's tank-like capabilities.

 

“Righteo people.” Scanlan raised a fist into the air in a conical fashion. “Let's go!”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanku for reading guys, much appreciated.


	4. What is behind closed doors

Percy was anxious for the rest of the day. His hands twirled around each other as he walked, desperately fiddling with his cuff links as a way of distracting himself. His gun was loaded, and holstered by his side. Just waiting for something to jump out at them. Ready for somebody to attack. 

 

They picked up the same formation as they had the day before. It was the safest, having the quieter, more perceptive twins at the front, and the louder, damage absorbing Grog at the back. Percy took his place in the middle, feeling cramped between the cave walls and his friends. He made a point of spreading people apart, not only for his own sake, but to reduce the effect from a trap or spell. 

 

Something had broken his trap. Something was on their trail, he could just sense it. 

 

Fortunately, they did not encounter anything, and Scanlan was setting up the mansion after what seemed like days to Percy. He hadn't realised how tired he had become, how the worry filled him and made him ignore things like that. It clouded his mind, in a similar way that Orthax had. But the cloud dissipated as soon as he stepped through the mansion doors. They were safe, for the time being. 

 

He then also realised that whilst ignoring his own tiredness, he had also been ignoring the rest of Vox Machina. Things were off, even more so now. Both Vax and Pike claimed to feel fine, after a little help from Keyleth, but Percy was yet to see either of them eat a crumb that day (he had noticed Vax shoving his plate of food away during breakfast, and Pike spent the lunch break they had facing away from the bits of meat and bread they brought out, looking green at the sight of it.) They both looked pale, more tired than the rest. They couldn't let illness -weakness, slow them down. 

 

“Keyleth, do you have a greater restoration spell prepared?” He asked as he walked in, and pulled the door shut behind him. 

 

Keyleth looked up in confusion. “Are you hurt? Have you tried a healing spell first?” 

 

Percy pushed his glasses up his nose. “No dear, not for me.” 

 

“We've sorted that, Percival.” Scanlan explained as he took of his jacket, and dropped it for one of the servants to pick up. 

  
  


Grog and Vex both looked worried. He had seen Vex worried before, that was not unusual. But Grog was strong, fearless in the face of danger. He would never be this worried for himself, only for Pike. Pike herself was leaning against the Goliath, head dropping to the side against his hip. Grogs hand was on her hair, ruffling it softly. She looked worse than she did earlier that morning. Percy needed to start keeping a better eye on things. 

 

Percy couldn't see Vax, he assumed somebody knew where he was, although it wouldn't be uncommon for him to leave without saying.

 

“Where's your brother?” He asked Vex.

 

“Went to take a bath. He was practically shivering.” 

 

Percy frowned, and looked at Pike, kneeling down to be head height with her. “Are you cold, Pike?” 

 

“Kinda, yeah.” She sighed, sounding weak. 

 

“Maybe a hot bath using order.” Percy looked up at Grog. “Go with her, and try and find Vax, if you can. We’ll all be in the dining room.” 

 

Grog nodded at Percy, picked Pike up in one arm and placed her on his shoulder. “We gonna stick you in a tub with sneaky.” He joked as he headed down the stairs.

 

“Should I go with them.” Keyleth held a hand up like a child asking a question at school. “Help with spells and stuff. And also, like, it's Vax-” 

 

Vex seemed to get the point Keyleth was making, and pulled a disgusted face. Percy, however, scoffed, and looked gently at her. “I need you to be in this conversation, we need to discuss things.”

 

“But what about Grog?” She asked. “If we're having a group meeting, then I think that-” 

 

Percy sighed, getting irritated. He needed to speak to them, and he needed to get across some important points. “Grog isn't going to help. I need this to be taken seriously.” 

 

“Don't be so mean on him, Percival. He can't help it.” Vex laughed.

  
  


Percy sighed again, “We need to speak. Dining room, now.” 

 

“Agreed.” Vex stated, much more serious, and began walking to the dining room door. She was stopped by a tiny gnome, standing in the way.

 

Scanlan smiled. “Do we need a formal meeting, people?” He looked at Keyleth. “Can't we just greater restoration them both and go to bed?” He looked tired. Fed up. 

 

“We could- but I kind of want to know what it is before we do.” Keyleth answered.

 

The bard leaned against the door frame. “We don't need extra worries. Let's sort out what we can, take things one thing at a time.”

 

“I believe that we have the additional threat of-” Percy started, pulling an offended face as he was interrupted. 

 

“We’ve fought dragons, Percival. What's going to be worse than that?” Scanlan laughed. “Can I go to bed now?”

 

“No. And for your information, it's not what we’re fighting, it's how we're fighting it that's the problem. I don't think we should have come on this mission.  Something is off. When have Allura or Gilmore ever given us so little information? They effectively sent us on a scouting mission, that seems out of character.” Percy explained. 

 

Come to think of it, Allura and Gilmore weren't even together when they talked about the mission. Yet both of them mentioned the same points about the underdark, nothing new between either of them. And they both seemed to accentuate how easy it would be for them. Why would they send their most powerful fighters to something they considered easy? They hadn't questioned it at first, but the more he thought, Percy kept on realising things that felt a little off. 

  
  


“I think we need to head home.” Percy stated,his face blank with realisation.

 

The room was brought back into that same silence, this time with confusion.

 

“Isn't that a bit sudden dear? We've come a long way?” Vex asked cautiously.

 

“No- no it's not.” Percy ran over to her and grabbed her by the shoulder, shaking her slightly but not explaining his point. 

 

Scanlan scrunched his eyebrows down, and tried to reason with him. “We're all worried Percy, but let's not jump to conclusions. If we can just get rid of-” 

 

“No, I think somebody is playing with us. And I think they're waiting for the right opportunity.” 

 

“I’m sorry, I think I got lost, who's trying to kill us now?” Keyleth looked worried.

 

“There's a long list dear.” Vex joked.

 

Percy sighed. “As much as I love your comedy, Vex’ahlia, my love, I don't think it's the time. We need to work this out.”

 

“I need to go to bed.” Scanlan moaned. 

 

“Whatever it is could be waiting out there, just ready to pounce, planning their attack, and you want to go to sleep?” 

 

“You're being too paranoid kid. Nothing can see us. I get that you were worried when your trap went missing this morning, but come to think of it, anything could have been past. We've been walking all day, can we talk in the morning?” Scanlan yawned, and began walking down the hallway. “Have your meeting if you want, Percy.”

 

“Scanlan -" Percy sighed. “Come on.” 

 

“Look, if it will make you feel better, we can go check.” 

 

“I don't think that will make me feel better.” Keyleth pointed out. She was ignored by the others. As Scanlan speed walked towards the door, Percy close behind him. Vex sighed and whispered into her earpiece for Grog to 'be ready to come back upstairs.’ 

 

“Scanlan, think this through.” 

 

Scanlan chuckled. “Nothing is going to happen Percy.” He opened the door, and allowed the others to look out. “See, nobody there.” 

 

“That proves nothing, and anyway, it's besides the point.” However, Percy still took a good survey of the area. “Shut the door, before something sees us.”

 

Scanlan grabbed Percy's hand, yawned, and pulled him forward, despite his little strength. He then attempted to lead him outside, through the door. The gunslinger pulled his hand back just as the gnome exited the door. He still kept his head out of the door, looking around anxiously. 

 

“See! nobody here!” Scanlan shouted, voice echoing through the cave.

  
  


Then Percy saw something standing behind him.

 

He knew it was coming. He caught it, just the glance of a figure, hooded and cloaked in black. A hand clasped around the gnomes neck, just as Percy tried to squeal out a warning. Scanlan made an attempt to run forward towards the door, but unable to escape the tightening grip around his throat just made a sad kick forward. 

 

He looked up to Percy, gave a look of mortification. He opened his mouth, and managed to mouth 'fuck’ before a blunt type of weapon swung round, and smacked him around the side of his head. His body fell limp just as he was lifted up, feet dangling inches above the ground. 

 

The gunslinger jumped forwards out the door, grabbing his holstered weapon and fired towards the hostile creature. The first shot went directly into its arm, but had little effect. Percy growled as Scanlan wasn't dropped, and fired his next shot. Aiming at the other arm this time Percy fired the next shot. The limb was pushed backwards with a resounding crack, and the weapon dropped to the floor, metal clanging against stone. The third shot was lined up perfectly, an aim directly at the centre of the hooded figures forehead. It would have been a great shot, possibly game changing. Then his gun jammed.

 

Exploding in a puff of grey smoke that spat backwards into Percy's face. He desperately tried to pull back the trigger, get it to fire, but to no avail. It was badly broken. Percy’ hands trembled as he fumbled to take it apart and clean down the separate components, still very aware that he was in the middle of the battle field. 

 

An arrow shot past over his shoulder, Vex ran gracefully out of the mansion as she notched another and sent it flying towards another threat that Percy hadn't even seen yet. He looked up just a glance, and saw there were many more figures, all approaching at great speed. They had been well hidden, and moved in a way that reminded him of the way that the twins did. This was planned. There were now six or seven of them. And they were skilled, if they knew to wait for a weak point. The whole fight was turning into more and more of a problem. 

 

“We need to get Scanlan, and get back into the mansion!” Percy shouted across the chaos to Vex. He didn't know how they would do it in time, there were too many people. Too many for them to fight with the intention to run away. “Actually, fuck it. Keyleth?” He span around, gun still in pieces, to the druid girl who was standing at the door, magic flowing out of her palms. 

 

“Yes?” She shouted back, sounding incredibly stressed.

 

Percy put the pieces of his broken gun into his pocket, and fumbled around to pull out another. Bad news, it wasn't going to be as effective at this range, but it was better than nothing. “Get Grog to come back upstairs. Then come out and help.”

 

He didn't see her reaction, because one of the assassin's jumped him, pinning him down onto the ground, just as another jammed the blade of his short sword into Percy's shoulder. He gritted his teeth, and tried to shake his legs and get the first attacker off him. Whilst he tried, the man who had stabbed him grabbed ahold of his silver hair, and pressed his face down  onto the old stone. He was sure his chin would bruise with the force of the impact, if they were to live through this encounter. 

 

As Percy strained his neck to look up at the others, unable to get out, hoping somebody could help him. Opposite him, Vex was in a similar position, although not pinned to the floor but held standing up, her arms stretched behind her. She gave a look of horror, as a pair of metallic bindings were clicked around her wrists. It didn't stop her from struggling, as even then she tried to reach out with her legs towards her dropped bow. 

 

Scanlan was alone on the floor by this point, curled up like a weak child. He must have been dropped in what had only been seconds worth of fighting. Still, he wasn't awake, and had a line of blood trickling from the side of his head.

 

Keyleth was the only one not surrounded. She was stood half in the door, one foot in, one foot out. She stopped casting the spell she was concentrating on after looking at the situation the others were in, and started moving her hands to conjure something else, then she stopped, face full of fear.

 

“Come out, girl.” The voice was gruff, male, and spoke in common. “Give yourself up, or we’ll kill this one.” 

 

It only took seconds for Percy to realise who 'this one’ was. The two half elves both gasped in shock, heads jolting towards him, and Vex started shouting, but was stopped as a hand gripped over her mouth. 

 

“I could kill you all with one spell.” Kiki threatened, although her voice didn't growl in the way it would when she was sure of her power, instead her voice trembled with insecurity. 

 

The same voice that spoke before laughed, and addressed her again. “Not without hurting your friends, you won't. Come on, we don't need any more trouble.”  As he spoke, Percy felt the cold metal of a blade press to the back of his neck. It was pushed down slowly, pressure increasing slowly by the second. 

 

“No, I could- I have more friends, we could-” Keyleth stuttered, stood still in panic.

 

The blade pressed deeper into Percy's neck. “There's more of you? Well I'd hurry up then.” The fingers on Percy's right hand were crushed without warning, sounding with a crack that was nothing as loud as the sound of his groan. It hurt, similar to the pain Percy recognised as a bone breaking. “How about I count down?” The man asked again. “Three.” 

 

“Stop- you won't- I -I -I” Percy could barely see Keyleth as he concentrated on his hand. He was looking at it just as the booted foot came down again, this time on his elbow. The same crack, the same uncontrollable scream of pain. It reminded him of the torture, the fear that Ripley had put him through. He had to shut his eyes, pretending it wasn't happening, to stop himself from descending into full panic. 

 

“Two.” The man growled. 

 

The foot went onto Percy's shoulder this time, even more painful than before, such force behind it. His eyes opened with the hit, and just as they did Vex came into view. She bit into the hand that was over her mouth, and as they let go she screamed. “Keyleth! Just do it, they'll kill him, we’ll sort things out, I promise. Just surrender, don't-” Before she could say any more, a piece of fabric was shoved roughly in her mouth, and pulled back to form a gag.

 

Percy felt the sword lift away from his neck. “Seeing as your lovely friend has used up so much time, I think we're at the end of my countdown. Shame really, seemed like a fantastic young-” 

 

“Okay, stop, stop. I'm - I’m coming out.” Keyleth sounded like she was almost in tears. She stepped out of the mansion, hands raised above her head. 

 

Percy groaned as the sword was removed from his neck, and his hands were tied with the same metal tie. Shockwaves ran through his very bones as his injured arm was thrown around. He was pulled up to his feet, and stood up to be in between Vex and Keyleth. Scanlan's limp body was handed to the druid, just before the three of them were tied together with a thick rope, and lead in formation down the tunnel. The cloaked figures surrounded them still, making sure there was no chance of escape. 

 

It was agony, each step pulled the rope, which pulled his arm. They must have broken it, dislocated it at the least. He wasn't going to be much use in a fight without his shooting hand, in the same way that Vex would be little use without a bow. Keyleth couldn't cast or change shape whilst she was carrying Scanlan, and Scanlan was out of the question for the moment being. Percy didn't have a plan. He didn't know what to do. 

 

“Vex.” He whispered as he stumbled along. “Vex, I think this may be a so called jenga moment.” 

 

Vex turned her head, mouth still gagged, and gave a knowing nod. 

 

“Well.” Percy sighed. “Fuck.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Carry it upon your shoulders

Grog was unhappy. He was not stupid. He had heard what Percy said, stopping in the corridor just long enough to catch the rest of their conversation. Even Vex, who had stuck up for him, made him a joke. He was perfectly capable of helping the group plan. Why didn't they want him around?

 

“I'm not stupid, am I Pike?” He asked the gnome who was sitting on his shoulders as they headed down the stairs. 

 

Pike made a confused hum. “No, of course not. Why?” 

 

Grog wasn't sure whether she was telling the full truth. He knew he wasn't the most intelligent,he couldn't read or write yet, and he wasn't much good at maths. But he didn't want his friends to think he was stupid. 

 

“Because of what Percy said.” Grog muttered as he stomped down the stairs. 

 

Pike clung onto Grog's shoulders a little tighter. “And what was that?” 

 

Grog pulled her off his shoulders, and into his arms. “Didn't you hear?” 

 

“Aw, I'm sorry Grog.” She snuggled into his chest. “I wasn't really concentrating.” She sighed.

 

“It's okay.” Grog smiled. He was happy to keep Pike happy. “We can talk later, if that's okay?” 

 

“Of course it is Grog. Maybe tomorrow morning, after a bit of sleep?” She yawned, and snuggled in further. 

 

Grog slowly opened the door to the bathroom, dipping down under the low door frame and into the steamy room. The tiles were warm under his bare feet, little droplets of water sticking to his skin as he walked past the pool and towards the smaller bathing area.  There was a pile of dark leather armour, decorated with feathers, dropped down on one of the wooden stools in the area, weapons thrown next to it. Vax himself was nowhere to be seen as they approached, it took a few seconds of squinting through steam, for Grog to notice him, laying down as he floated on the surface of the hot water. He sat up, creating splashes in the water, as Grog placed Pike onto the floor next to him. 

 

“Hullo Vax.” Grog greeted him, smiling down at the man. 

 

Vax shook his head so that some of the water escaped from his long hair, and shivered as his pale body was exposed to the air. “Just you two?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, the rest of them are upstairs, 'planning’” Grog raised his fingers up in quotation marks, and was just waiting for Vax to make some jokey comment about it, but yet again, as seen in the past few days, he didn’t. The Goliath waited a few seconds for somebody else to speak up, and after they didn’t, he continued. “Pike’s feeling a bit cold, I think?” 

 

Pike nodded, and started unstrapping her heavy metallic armour. 

 

“And they wanted me to check on you too.” Grog continued, leaning down to pull off Pike’s chest plate for her. 

 

The rogue submerged himself again. “No need. Just keeping warm, and trying to get rid of the smell of vomit.” 

 

Pike grimaced, and shivered again.  “Don't talk about vomit.” She whispered. “Please.” 

 

“Sorry Pickle. Come in when you want, the water is warm.” He yawned, and grabbed one of the many bottles of liquid that lined the side of the bath, and poured the bubbles into the water. “You coming in too, big guy?” 

 

“I'm gonna wait, just in case they want me upstairs.” Grog explained. He really wanted then to need him upstairs, treat him like the adult he was. He just hoped that they would, although he was starting to learn that they didn't think they needed him for more than fighting. He wanted to mean more to them than that. 

 

Pike finally unhitched the last pieces of her armour, leaving herself in her underclothes. She looked around at Grog and Vax, then stated “I'll just put another pair on.” Before standing herself up on wobbly legs, then pulling herself over, landing with a splosh in the same bath tub that the rogue was sat in. She sighed as the warm water touched her skin.

 

In many other circumstances it would have been weird, two friends bathing together, one totally nude, whilst the other watched. But they had all seen each other naked before, it wasn't uncommon. And besides, Grog didn't think either of the two in the basin would be thinking like that at that moment. Both looked tired, bags under their eyes, pale faces. 

 

Pike lay backwards as Vax had been doing when they entered (although taking up less space as she didn't have the same lanky limbs) as the half elf combed her hair with the soapy water, using his fingers to take out all the little knots. 

 

Grog was going to get some towels when a message came through in his ear piece. Keyleth sounded out of breath, and slightly confused. “Grog, come back upstairs please.” 

 

“Uh- okay. Coming.” He answered, not sure what Keyleth wanted. Maybe they needed his input? It wasn't like they could be fighting,something? Maybe they needed him for a vote of something? Nevertheless, it made him useful. And that made Grog happy.

 

The Goliath turned on his heels, and started walking up the stairs. Then a voice from behind him stopped him. 

  
  
  


“Shit, Grog!” Shouted back from the bath. “Come back, bring a towel.”

“Everybody wants Grog now.” He muttered under his breath, more than a little annoyed. He span around again grabbed two towels from the shelf he was just by, then walked back towards the cloud of steam. As the two came into sight, Grog took a few seconds to work out what they were doing, before realising what had happened. Vax sat with Pike on his knee, cupping his hand over her nose. The little gnome looked on the verge of tears, as blood pooled out from around Vax's hands and down over her mouth.

 

“The fuck?” he looked between them, eyes darting from one to the other. “Uh, Pike- what happened?”

 

Pike sounded panicked, and her voice was slightly muffled by the hand over her nose. “I don't know. It just started.” 

 

That probably wasn't good, was it? He would have to tell the others when he went upstairs.

 

“Okay.” Grog handed her one of the two towels, which she took, and pressed to her face. “Does that help?” 

 

Pike nodded as she held the white material to her nose, which fell downwards and draped into the water. She was shaking slightly, but it could have been missed due to the fact that Vax was shaking at the same rhythm underneath her. 

 

“Erm, why are you shivering? Is the water cold?” the Goliath asked.

 

“I don't know. Maybe.” Pike whispered, voice still sounding weird. “Grog can you help me out?”

 

Grog held his hand out to her, which she grabbed with the hand not holding to towel.  “'Course I can buddy.” he chuckled, then pulled her out of the water, wrapping a second towel around her. Her hair was dripping wet, underclothes soaked, and shaking only increasing as she sat on the stone floor, piled up in towels with blood running down her face. “I can go get you some clothes from upstairs after I talk with Kiki.” 

 

Pike nodded again, and Grog assumed she smiled beneath the towel. 

 

Out of sight, he heard the clearing of a throat, and turned around to see a drowned rat looking Vax sat in the tub. “Not to interrupted moments, but this water is fucking freezing.” 

 

That was odd, because when Grog put his hand in to get Pike, it hadn't felt cool. Maybe it was his tribal backgrounds, or simply his race, that allowed him to do that. Or maybe the water wasn't cold. Vax certainly didn't feel cold as Grog lifted him up by the shoulders and dropped him (not so carefully) onto the floor. His skin was red hot, making the Goliath almost drop him in surprise. 

 

“Are you okay?” 

 

Vax grabbed the last towel out of Grog's arm. “Cold. Thank you.” 

 

“You- er- might want to cover up a bit.” The Goliath pointed to his bare flesh. 

 

The rogue pulled the fabric around his shoulders, and started to rub his hair dry. “Thanks big guy.” He groaned, speaking sarcastically.  “How you doing Pickle?”

 

“It's not stopped yet.” She lifted the towel from her nose, looked at the red on it, then promptly put it back. “You don't think Scanlan will mind do you.”

 

“Not if he doesn't find out.” Vax laughed. Grog thought the same, he would never grass Pike up. He wouldn't even mention it when he went upstairs.

 

Oh yeah. Keyleth wanted him upstairs. 

 

“I'll be back in a second.” He explained, parents Pikes blonde hair, then ran up the stairs, feet thumping on the wood. 

  
  
  


He exited through the door at the top, and ran into the empty room. “Keyleth!” he shouted as he burst in. “I’m here!”

 

There was no reply.  The main hallway was empty, eerily empty.  A breeze blew through the hall, but everything was in place. Well, pretty much everything. The front door was wide open, swinging slightly with the difference of temperatures. “Uh, Keyleth? Do you know the door’s open?” He asked as he walked towards it, squinting to try to see outside.”Keyleth? Did you go outside? Percy? Vex? Scanlan?” 

 

There was no answer. Grog stopped for one second, then approached the door. He pushed it open further, then stepped outside. 

 

The cave tunnel was thin, but it was obvious even to him that something had happened. Re first thing he noticed was Vex's bow, Fenthras, lying abandoned on the floor. 

 

“Vex?” He called. “Uh, I think you left your bow outside?”

 

Vex didn't answer. Grog strode around to pick it up, when he noticed what else was on the rocky floor. Two smudges of red, a substance that the Goliath was more familiar with. Blood. Where had it come from? It wasn't there when he had arrived. Maybe they'd got into a fight. And, by the lack of their presence, it was a fight that they had not won. That's what happens when you go into a fight without Grog, he thought. 

 

But it was no time to be bitter or selfish. As much as Grog could be excluded and sometimes only seen as the group tank, they were his friends. His family. And something had happened to them. Something had attacked them, and either they left without letting everyone else know (which was unlikely) or they had been taken. The latter was much worse. 

 

He grabbed Vex’s bow and just before he entered the mansion, he put his finger to his ear,and whispered into his earpiece. 

 

“Ello? Where are you.” 

 

There was no answer for a couple of seconds, and Grog feared that an outcome may have happened that he hadn't even thought of. What if they had been killed? There were no bodies, but they could have been dragged away with them. He changed his mind. That would be the worst outcome. The barbarian was stuck thinking about it, worrying about them, not knowing what to do. 

 

He inhaled a big breath in relief when a voice answered. He never liked to show that he was scared, but the worry was often there. He rarely spoke to anybody about it, excluding Pike. It was moments like this he feared, if he didn't know what was happening, he couldn't help. 

 

“Grog? Oh thank god.” Percy answered, whispering so quietly that Grog had to strain to hear it. “Don't make too much of a sound. Where are you?” 

 

“Outside the mansion. Erm, what happened?” He replied, trying his hardest.

 

Percy didn't answer for another couple of seconds. “You're all okay? Good. We've been taken by somebody, I don't know-” Another long pause, then he continued. “Scanlan’s unconscious, they've hit his head. Vex is gagged, and they've done something to my arm. Keyleth's fine, as far as I know.”

 

Grog was thankful for the information, even if it wasn't particularly positive, but it wasn't particularly useful for finding them. Typical Percy, he thought, waffling on. “Okay, but where are you.” 

 

“Cave system.” He whispered in return, “heading downwards.”

 

“Where to?”

 

Percy sighed. Was that a stupid question? “I'll tell you when we get there.”

 

“What should I do?” Grog asked. The most important question, in his opinion.

 

“I'm trying to think of a plan. We can talk when- sorry- if we get put somewhere quiet. For now, just try and head downwards to where we are.” Percy explained, then stopped speaking. Grog wanted him to tell him more, but realised that wasn't going to happen. This time, he actually had to help. This time, he was really needed for more than just his muscles. Sure, his friends were in danger, but they were not as strong as him. They could solve this, if he helped. He finally had a proper purpose. 

 

“Alright. I'm gonna go check on Pike 'n Vax. I’ll try 'n talk to you again in a bit.” 

 

“Fuck.” Percy groaned. “I had almost forgotten about that. Let them sleep, for tonight. Try and move as fast as you can tomorrow.”

 

“Mm, 'course. Why?” Grog asked, confused. He got that they were not very well, but why did Percy sound so worried? 

 

“We can get them to Keyleth- arrgh.” Percy cried suddenly, not able to finding his sentence. 

 

“Percy? Percival?” 

 

There was a long pause. Nothing from Percy, nothing from Grog as he didn't want to cover up any sound. 

 

“I'm sorry, Grog.” Percy said, this time fully out loud. “I'm sorry.” 

 

Then there was complete radio silence. Grog waited for longer than he had ever waited in his life. Nothing more. 

 

Eventually, he decided to go back into the mansion, to protect the two that were in there. Just incase anyone came back to get them. They wouldn't be the strongest by themselves; with Grog they stood a chance. 

 

He entered through the door, slamming it shut behind him. He ran back down the hallway, missing every other step, and landed outside the door to the baths. He sighed, then walked in through the door.

 

Pike was still bundled up in the towel, but without the padding on her nose. Vax was fully dressed, although missing some parts of his armour, leaning onto the side of the bathtub. He looked up, and gave a look of fear as Grog got close enough.

 

“Grog? Why have you got my sister's bow?” The rogue stuttered, standing up, and snatching it off him. 

 

Grog stood in silence, not sure how to answer.

 

“Where's Vex, Grog?” Pike asked, also looking scared.

 

“I uh, talked to Percy over the earring thing.” He started. “They all got taken-”

 

“Taken by what?” Vax was shouting at first, then his voice cracked and wavered. 

 

“He didn't say.” 

 

“Well where are they going?” Vax hugged his sister's bow to his chest. 

 

“They, uh, don't know.” 

 

The half elf grabbed the remaining pieces of his armour and headed towards Grog. “We need to go and get them back.” 

 

The Goliath put his hand out, blocking him. Vax gave it a weak hit with his fist, but Grog didn't budge. “We’re not going now.”

 

“Why the fuck not?” 

 

“We need to make a plan.” Grog explained, thinking back to what Percy had told him.

 

Pike also spoke up. “He's right Vax. We all want to get them back, but if they're strong enough to take over the four of them it's going to be difficult.” 

 

“Fuck it! What if they're hurt?” 

 

“Keyleth 'n Vex are fine. Percy’s hurt his arm or summit, 'n Scanlan's unconscious.” Grog told them. “But I think he's okay.” He added at the end. 

 

“It will be easier to get to them when they stop, when whoever's taken them stops concentrating so much.” Pike explained. “Besides, I'm too tired to fight.” 

 

“But Vex and Keyleth-”

 

“I'm worried too, Vax, I know. But we can't just go and run into things, we’ll just get into more trouble.” Pike held out her arms, for Vax to take. 

 

Vax looked at her, smiled, then ducked under Grog's arm before he could do anything about it.

“Uh, Vax?” Grog asked as the rogue slunk up the stairs.

 

“Going outside. I'll be back, don't worry.”  He shouted before he disappeared. 

  
  


Grog walked over to Pike (who still had her arms outstretched in a hug position) and picked her up. “What we gonna do Pickle?” He asked her, as he held her up to head height. 

 

“I don't know, Grog.” She sighed. “Can I get some clothes? I don't really feel too well.” 

 

“Oh yeah. 'Course. Come on then.”

  
  
  


Grog took her upstairs back to her room, and grabbed her a set of spare clothes out of the bag of holding. It was strange, worrying even, the mansion being so quiet. Even the servants seemed different, less lively, now that Scanlan wasn't there. Grog wondered whether they knew. Probably not.

 

When Pike was dressed, he picked her up and tucked her into bed. She still had little specs of blood around her nose and mouth, but not a large amount in comparison to the blood they were all used to. She pulled the duvet over herself so it reached up to her shoulders, and let her eyes shut for a few seconds before they opened with a start.

 

“We need to check on Vax.” she exclaimed, sitting up. 

 

Grog put his hand on her forehead, and softly pushed her back down. “I'll go. You sleep.” 

 

“Thanks Grog.” She yawned, as he left the room once again. 

  
  
  


“Vaaaaaaax!” Grog shouted, feeling a horrible repeat of what had happened just a few minutes earlier. “Come on, you fuck!” 

After not receiving an immediate answer, he was starting to get worried, although, not too worried. He was probably hiding somewhere, brooding.

 

Brooding was exactly what Vax was doing. Grog caught him, not even trying to hide, sat on the doorstep, looking outwards. 

 

“Vax? I thought you were cold.” 

 

He didn't answer. Grog took a couple of steps towards him. “Shall I just leave you?” 

 

“Yes, please.” 

 

“Come inside then.” the Goliath suggested. 

 

“I’m just checking- to see if I can see anything.” Vax explained.

 

“I don't think there's anything there-” 

 

“There could be.” 

 

“You looked kinda tired. Maybe you'll see more tomorrow?” He suggested again. Pike wouldn't like Vax to be sat out in the cold. 

 

“I think-" Grog stopped him from talking by walking up behind him, and picking him up by the back of his shirt. He shut the door, and turned the boy around. He didn't even bother struggling, just hung there. There was evidence of tears streaming down his face, although he had wiped them away. Grog noticed Vex’s bow, still in his hand. 

 

“You wanna come and sleep in the room with me 'n Pike?”

 

He nodded. 

 

“Okay then. This way.”  Grog looked at Vex's bow, and took it out of Vax’s hand. “I'll put that into the bag of holding for you.” 

 

He didn't struggle as he took it.

  
  


Pike was fast asleep by the time they got in. She must have been really tired, because Grog wasn't gone long. Her little chest rose and fell, a strand of blonde hair moving up and down in front of her nose. Grog placed Vax on the bed, then stepped over Pike to sit in the middle.

 

“It's alright. You two are only little.” He whispered to Vax, as he carefully pulled the rest of the cover of them. “Night night.” 

 

“Good night.” Vax whispered in return, turning away from Grog to face the wall. 

 

Grog shut his eyes, and started to think. He didn't understand what was happening fully. They had enemies, but he couldn't think who would hate them enough and have the power to kidnap four of their party like that. Maybe it was just some new danger, something bigger than dragons. Gilmore and Allura said it wasn't too dangerous, maybe there was something else. He didn't know. As much as he wanted to, as much as he tried, he knew he couldn't ever be as clever as someone like Percy. He had only just started learning how to write. How was he expected to work out where they were taken? He just hoped that Percy (or somebody else) managed to call him in the morning. 

  
  


He was just drifting off when he felt movement beside him. He opened his eyes, slightly annoyed, to see Vax practically falling out of bed. The rogue stated crawling along the floor towards the door, not as stealthy as he usually was. 

 

“Vax? Where you going?” Grog asked, getting up out of the warm bed. 

 

“Bathroom.” 

 

“Uh, no you're not.” he interjected, standing up, and blocking the door. 

 

Vax didn't bother stopping, just kept crawling. “Not funny, Grog. Bathroom, now.” He whispered.

 

“You're just gonna go outside.”

 

“Grog please.” He whimpered. “Don't wake Pike, just bathroom.” 

 

Grog looked at him as he made his way slowly across the floor. The rogue still had the markings of tears on his face, but his skin was paler than it had been just minutes ago, and beads of sweat were visible across his forehead. “Oh.” The Goliath realised. “Are you gonna chuck up?” 

 

Vax started to gag a little, and anxious that they might wake Pike, Grog grabbed him upwards and pulled him out the room, sitting him on the floor. “Can you like- hold it in?” 

 

He shook his head. 

 

“I swear I spent most of today carrying you people.” Grog complained, whilst he picked him up, and held him to his chest. “You better not throw up on me.” 

 

The way things were going, that was looking increasingly less likely. The half elf dry gagged, tears pooling in his eyes once again. He shut his eyes, leaning on Grogs chest, to try and stop himself from gagging. They just about made it into the bathroom before he vomited all down his shirt. 

 

“Urgh.”

 

Vax wiped his mouth, and looked up at Grog, shaking his head. “Not done-” he gagged again, so Grog placed him down onto the floor by the toilet. The half elf fell onto his knees, and pulled himself up against the seat. 

 

“Do you want the shirt off?” Grog asked. He wasn't really sure how to help. 

 

He nodded, not lifting his head up, his dark hair falling over his face. Grog unbuttoned the soiled undershirt, then pulled it over the man's head. He was still gagging, but not really getting anywhere. His eyes were still shut, he looked on the verge of falling asleep, yet the longer he gagged, the more he cried. Grog was reminded of Keyleth after a night of long drinking, although she didn't usually cry when she threw up. Maybe he was still upset about the others going missing. Nethertheless, Grog thought it was a bit of an overreaction. 

  
Vax was slumped over the toilet for about an hour, going between throwing up and gagging, with Grog sat by the side, unsure what to do. This was pretty sudden, he thought, to be this ill after seeming just a little under the weather just hours earlier. After he stopped, Grog pulled his sweaty torso onto his lap, and held him there as he cried. He held him there, sat looking up at the ceiling, whilst he realised he was going to have to do a lot more thinking than he had ever wanted to do. He was glad they still had the mansion for a while, but things were going to get even more difficult when they had to head out into the caving system. Vax looked so weak at that moment, shaking and unable to sit up for himself. Pike was exhausted, shivering, and not even the commotion of the rogue falling out of bed managed to wake her. Grog was the only member of Vox Machina that was still functioning at a normal level. He the one that everyone was relying on. And he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted that responsibility. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These updates are sporadic, I know. I'm back at school soon, so don't expect stuff to be updated as regularly as it is now. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter (and if you didn't, then sorry? I guess) 
> 
> Lydia xx


	6. Build it around me

Vex couldn't look behind her as she heard Percy being hit. She had expected it to happen sooner, with Percy whispering into the earpiece, so painfully obviously. She would have done a better job herself, had she not been gagged. Why would they gag her, of all people? She only shouted out once, maybe twice. Things would be so much easier, so much calmer, if she could just talk to the others, and didn't have a filthy piece of cloth digging into her cheeks. She wanted it off, she wanted the metal bonds off, she wanted to fire an arrow straight through the forehead of everyone of them. 

 

If only she hadn't dropped her bow. That hadn't happened in awhile, not since she was much younger. She wasn't expecting to be ambushed, that must have been why. If she hadn't been so shocked to be jumped upon like that, she wouldn't have been so startled and dropped her bow, and been able to put an arrow between the eyes of the men holding her. Even as she walked, she knew having her bow would help with stopping the assault on Percy that she could hear behind her. She had to let it happen. She didn't want to, but she had to. 

 

He was hurt. Scanlan was hurt. Keyleth had surrendered to protect her friends. She could have prevented that, she knew it. Vex wanted to look behind her again, or get a better look at their capteurs. There was two figures in front of her, but all she could see was the back of their heads (hooded, and out of sight) and their leather armour, similar to the type of clothes that her brother used to wear. They held weapons, swords by the looks of it, and probably had more concealed on them. Behind her there was more men, one on Percy, then the rest at the back. They didn't speak, and she couldn't turn to get a better look at them, couldn't get any clues from them. 

 

“I'm sorry, Grog.” Percy spoke, (presumably into his earing) not even trying to whisper this time, wincing at the pain from his injuries. “I'm sorry.” 

 

Vex held her breath, knowing what was coming. The air whistled, only showing the speed at which a weapon slammed down, hitting with a crack against him. He cried out in pain, but stopped himself quickly. 

 

“You will not speak with him anymore.” The voice, Vex assumed it came from the person with the weapon as it came from right behind her, was female, and spitting. Harsh, like the blade of a knife. “Shut up.” She spat. 

 

Percy had talked to Grog, at least the others and some idea where they had gone. And she knew they were safe, that was important. Her brother was probably panicking, or brooding alone somewhere. He tended to do that when they were split apart. Vex was better with it, she always had been better with other people. He had improved, it had to be said, but being apart from Keyleth too probably resulted in him being quite unhappy. Vex had to let it go, as important as her brother’s mental health was to her she couldn't let it get in the way of finding a way out of the situation they were in. 

 

It wasn't just mental state that was the problem. As Percy had pointed out earlier, something had happened to Vax and Pike. The suspicion that it was more than just a strain of flu had only been increased now, once again Percy was seemingly correct about somebody plotting against them. She was glad that Grog hadn't come upstairs when Keyleth asked, even if he could have helped. They couldn't have risked leaving them alone. Vex just hoped that wasn't a part of their plan. Because splitting them up further only made them even more vulnerable. 

 

They walked a long way. Down through the tunnel systems, dragged by the binds around their hands. A soft clanging of the metal around her wrists could be heard, perhaps only to Vex, and the feeling of them digging into the soft skin of her wrist was beginning to hurt, rubbing her flesh red raw. Her boots were undone, having only had enough time to slip them on, and they made walking at such a pace uncomfortable for her. She was glad when they stopped, but not so glad when she looked up from the floor to see what was in front of them. 

 

They had walked for hours, and although they traveled quickly, Vex hadn't expected them to get to more than just a camp in one night. She had hoped they would get somewhere small, where they could find an easy way to escape. This place was quite the opposite, and only made her realise that she must have calculated some of the distance wrong. Because this was a lot closer than she had expected. And it certainly wasn't a good place to be heading into. A large clearing in the tunnel system, they and been following along a more direct path to get to it, was the remains of the mind flayer fort, where they had fought K’varn. But it had been changed dramatically. A building, looming over them in size, had been built out of stone directly in the centre, hundreds of other buildings surrounding it. Was this what Allura was worried about.

 

“Vex?” Came a whisper from Keyleth behind her, as Vex realised that she had stopped herself from walking. She didn't want to go in there. They couldn't let themselves be taken in there. 

 

She also had little choice. She had to move, she was powerless. A not so soft shove from behind (probably a bandit) caused her to trip, just catching herself upon the stone floor.  

 

“Keep going.” Came the voice. “Or we kill the boy behind you.” 

 

Was that Percy or Scanlan? It didn't matter, she couldn't let either of them die again, especially when Pike wasn't there. She didn't know what was inside the fortress, and although she assumed it wasn't good, it had to be better than splitting the party further. 

 

Her knees ached as she stood up, using only the power of her thighs to push herself up off the stone. As she stood up, the sound of Percy's heavy breathing could be heard again, he must have been glad for what was only a short lived rest. He was hurting, she could tell.

 

One of the cloaked humanoids grabbed the metal binding that clasped her wrist and yanked her forward once again, pulling her around like they were leading a horse to head in an even steeper gradient down towards the castle. Step after step, being pulled faster and faster as time went on. Each yank of the chains dug into her flesh, deeper and deeper until she could swear it was about to draw blood.

 

They were pulled down to the bottom of what was effectively a giant stone valley, like the kind you would see formed by mountains, but much deeper underground. The creatures that had control over them were tall and human shaped, yet the beings that Vex saw surrounding them were not. Duergar, Mindflayer, even some common dwarves, all starting to surround them. They were loud, rowdy, speaking in some languages she could understand, and others she couldn't. From what she could hear, they were angry. Angry at them. All of the creatures seemed to know who she was, glaring at her with fire in their eyes. She looked down, watched her feet move across the floor as she heard the crowd getting larger and larger. 

 

They didn't touch her, but sounded like they wanted to. Was it because of what they did before? How had they had the power to rebuild this quickly? And who were the bandits, they were not around previously. What was going on beneath the surface? 

 

They were walked at a pace so that they were away from the crowd, into the main archway of the fort, past the heavily armoured guards. A metallic gate slammed down behind them, seemingly from nowhere. Keyleth gave a little squeak in fright at the surprising sound, but managed to keep herself quiet. Everything was still stone, but carved into delicate shapes with great detail. The air was even colder in the castle, the candles that lit up the hallways not helping with their warm glow. Everything was silent, except the respective sound of their footsteps, boots clicking on the floor. 

 

The halls all looked the same, labyrinth like in structure. Doors after doors, everyone they went through one it was locked behind them. They went up a flight of stairs, then up another. More halls, more doors, more locks. Then they stopped. Finally. 

 

A line of cells, all unlocked with metal barred doors wide open. One of the cloaked figures walked up to Vex, tugged at the manacle, then pressed a key into it, unlocking her from the chain. She felt herself being pushed forward once again, unable to do anything about it. Face against the wall, she didn't have time to compose herself before Percy was also shoved with a grunt into the same cell as her. She turned just as the door was shut and locked, leaving them in the cell. 

 

“Who are you?” Percy asked, with more interest than anger. “What is this?” 

 

He got no answer, nothing said as Keyleth and Scanlan were pulled out of view. He didn't say anything more to them, or to Vex, until the same sound of locking could be heard perpendicular to them, and the group of cloaked humanoids left the hallway, pulling the door and tightening the chain that held it behind them.

  
  


“Bloody hell.” He groaned, sitting down on the single bed at the side of the room. It took up most of the cell, with a small improvised toilet at the other side, then floor space in the area remaining. “Bloody hell.” 

 

Vex was glad to have her hands free, and used her freedom of movement to pull the gag out of her mouth, chucking it on the floor. 

“What’s happening. Oh Percy.” She mumbled, sitting on the bed next to him. “How do we fix this? This wasn't part of the plan.” 

 

“Did we ever have a plan?” He sighed. “Some people are glad when they're right all the time. At the moment, I'm not so happy.”  He winced, looking down at his hand. Bruises were starting to form upon it and his elbow hung as an unusual angle. 

 

“Come here, I'll fix that.” Vex held out her hands onto Percy's arm.

 

“Ah- thank you. I wasn't going to ask but-” 

 

“Anything for you darling. I don't think my spells will be more useful in another circumstance, not without my bow.” She sighed, thinking back to where she dropped it in the clearing. She then shut her eyes, and concentrated on the spell, waiting for the familiar feeling of magic flowing through her fingertips. Nothing. 

 

“Vex?” 

 

“I can't seem to cast anything.” She opened her eyes, and stared at Percy, an expression of shock on her face. He looked back at her, furrowing his eyebrows with worry. “Percy- my magic’s not working.” 

 

Percy stood up, pulling in a deep breath as he clutched his arm to keep it still, then stumbled over to the bars of the cell. “Keyleth?” He spoke, raising his voice. “Are you okay?” 

 

“No- no not really.” She almost shouted back, although it was difficult for Vex to hear. 

 

Percy still his face through so his cheeks were pressed against the metal. “Keyleth, breathe. Describe where you are.” 

 

“A cell thing, there's a bed and a toilet and not much else- Percy- Scanlan's not woken up yet.” 

 

The gunslinger turned around to look at Vex. “Sounds like the same as us.” He then raised his voice again. “Keyleth can you try and cast a spell?” 

 

“Yeah- um- which spell, I don't know-” She whimpered. 

 

“Nothing too valuable, try a quick heal on Scanlan.” He explained.

 

Keyleth took a breath in, and her voice was quieter as she replied. “Okay.” 

 

A few seconds passed, the two of them waited in silence for a response. 

 

“Percy.” Keyleth called. “I don't think it worked, I couldn't get it to work.” 

 

“It's okay, we can sort it. Sit on the bed with him,clean his wounds as much as you can. If you need us just call.”

  
  


Percy made his way back and sat down next to Vex, the bed creaking as he did. He bent over, and held his forehead in his good hand, taking two deep breaths in before turning his head to look at her. 

 

“I've looked at the lock, it's complicated and magical. I suspect the others that we went past are similar.” He sighed. “I’m not certain we can crack it quick enough.” He stopped and put his head back down between his legs. “Infact, I'm certain. We would be dead before we get past the second door.” 

 

“Have you got a plan?” Vex asked, moving her hand to his back. 

 

He didn't look up. “No. Not without Magic I haven't. We have no weapons, and I didn't get a chance to survey the area.” Percy bunched his fists together. “I'm sorry.”

 

“Percy, it's not your fault, why-” Vex argued, a little confused.

 

“No, I'm sorry that you're stuck in here with me. I don't think I can do this again.” He sounded slightly choked, and was whispering. 

 

“From when we found you- oh darling I nearly forgot.” Percy didn't talk to anybody about it a lot, but the memories must still be strong in his mind. It would only need something like this to trigger them up again, and she knew it. 

 

Percy lay back against the wall, still keeping the weight of his injury, pulled his knees up to his chest, and hid his face. 

 

“Percy, dear, do you want me to sit with you?” she suggested.

 

“Not right now, give me a second- if you don't mind.” He whispered. 

  
  


Vex stepped of the bed, and sat on the wall opposite so that she had a view out the bars. She could leave him for a bit, if that was what he needed. It wasn't like he could go anywhere. 

 

No magic. This was a powerful place. Whatever it was only seemed to combat them, not the magic on the locks. She checked through her pockets and bag. Not much. They must have taken her arrows without her noticing when they held her up, because everyday one was gone. In her bag was a small knife, her set of lockpicks, and the bag full of the party's gold. Her other bag, the bag of colding, did not even open. So no magic items either. 

 

No magic items. 

 

Trinket was still in the necklace. 

 

Vex ripped it off her neck, almost breaking the chain. She looked deep into the pendant, trying to see anything. It was dull. Grey. Not working. What if it wasn't reversible? What if Trinket was stuck in there for ever? She would never be able to get him out, the poor bear locked away and scared in a tiny pocket universe by himself. 

 

“Vex?” Percy asked. “Are you okay?” 

 

“Do you think it's reversible?” She asked, happy that Percy was talking again, although it had only been a few minutes of silence. “The loss of magic?” 

 

“I’m not sure, but I would think so.” He looked up at her. “Why?” 

 

“Trinket. He's in my necklace.” She gripped it tight in her hand. 

 

Percy looked worried, stayed quiet for a moment, then replied. “We can always fix things. When- if- we get out of here.” 

 

He didn't seem so sure, but it was better than nothing. She tied the chain around her neck again. “How are you?” 

 

“A little better than I thought I would be.” His face was flustered, yet not as red as Vex had seen it before. “Thank you.” 

 

“No problem. Have you thought of anything?” She asked. It was worth the try.

 

Percy looked at the wall. “No, not yet. I hate to say it, but I think hoping the others will find us may be our best shot right now. We're stronger as a group, even if they're not in the best of shapes.”

 

“I don't think any of us are.” Vex stared at him, eyes meeting the arm that hung limply by his side. “We should strap your arm up. Do you have anything with you?” 

 

“My gun, that's pretty much it I'm afraid.” He pulled the broken pieces of metal out his pocket.”See if you can do anything with them, I don't think I can right now.” 

 

She scooped the pieces up and pulled them into her lap. “It's really broken then?” 

 

“Yes, each of them. I’ll need a workshop to do much, yet I doubt I'll be able to do anything for this one.” He sighed, eyes looking through every corner of the room. “And that's if I can find a way to shoot with my other hand.”

 

“I’ll try to bind it up. It looks broken.” She picked up a piece of the gun, looked at it as if she knew what it was, then pulled it apart. Percy groaned as she did. 

 

“That bit’s rather important.” 

 

Vex laughed. “Not as important as your arm, dear.” 

 

He chuckled nervously, and his chuckled turned into pained gasps as she gently touched him. It was going to hurt him no matter what, so Vex assumed the best way was to get it over and done with. She pulled up the broken pieces of gun, pushed them together to form a pole, then placed it against Percy's arm. She worked in silence, and Percy himself seemed to be trying to hold back gasps, only once grabbing onto the half elves arm as she used a piece of her sleeve (ripped of with a fair amount of precision) to pull the pole and arm tightly together, straightening the breaks. 

 

“I don't think that will fix it at all.” Vex explained as she sat back, leaving Percy still inhaling deep breaths, but seemingly much calmer. “It should stop it from hurting too much when you move.”

 

“Thank you.” Percy gasped between breaths.

 

Vex smiled, but didn't answer. Just nodded and patted his leg cheekily. 

 

“We can get out of here.” Percy continued after he got his breath back. “I’m sure of it. There's always a plan of action. I just don't exactly know what it is right now.”

 

“We have time. We've not all been captured dear- remember that my brother, Grog and Pike are still out there. They'll be planning too, I'm sure they have a vague idea of where we were headed.” 

 

“We could be here for days.” Percy sighed. “Longer, probably.” 

 

Vex hummed in response. “At least we're not alone.” 

 

“Yes, thank the gods for that.” Although he didn't sound too sure. “I'm going to see if I can find anything in the stones of the wall- stay there if you wish, or you can help.” 

  
  
  


Percy stood up, then stopped. The creaking of the bed was accompanied by the creaking of a door. The door that lead into the hallway the cells were in.

 

Vex held her breath. Was this an answer? Or something much more painful.

 

The figure that walked in was on their own, hood obscuring and shadowing over their face. They stepped with grace, an almost pad like sound upon the stones. They laughed, head turning between the cell Vex was in, and the other one. 

 

“I was not sure whether this was such a good idea.” The spoke. The voice was sly, curling, Vex knew she recognised it but wasn't sure where from. “I have to say, I impressed even myself this time.” 

 

“Who are you?” Percy asked. 

 

“One of you knows.” They answered. “I've waited a long time for this. Although I'm informed I'm yet to receive my part of the payment.”

 

“What do you want with us?” 

 

“Human, I want nothing with you. Or the ranger girl and the gnome boy. You were merely caught in the crossfire.” They spat. “You, princess, I argued my reasoning for. They did not agree. The four of you work well nethertheless.” 

 

“Who are you?” Vex heard Keyleth speak from the cell next to her, she must have been projecting more because her voice was loud and echoing off the walls. 

 

“You don't remember me? Because I remember your group. You couldn't fathom the pain that Vax’ildan put me through. Or the same pain that Pike put me through.” They walked over to where Keyleth was, obscured from the vision of Vex and Percy.

 

“It's you. You will only burn in pain again and again. We will only take you down again and again. You think just because you've got the four of us you have them too?” Keyleth began arguing, yet Vex was still unable to work out who the voice belonged to.

 

They laughed softly but in a threatening way. “I’m not stupid enough to give plans away. Not as stupid as you- Vox Machina- seem to be. I will enjoy giving you four away. I’ll enjoy the look of anguish on your faces.” They growled, and stepped backwards, pulling the hood back over their face. 

 

“You won't succeed. You didn't succeed before, and you won't succeed again.” 

 

“Each time I go, I only come back stronger, Princess. I only learn more about you.”

 

“They will rescue us, they always do.” Keyleth stated.

 

“Your friends have a few larger problems at the present moment than just rescuing you. Especially now you've left them alone.” 

 

“What have you done to them?” She asked.

 

The creature bowed its head, then exited the room. 

 

“What did you do to them!” Keyleth screamed as they left. “Shit!” 

  
  


“Keyleth?” Vex asked after a moment passed, walking up to the edge of the cell. “Who was that?” 

 

“It was- Vex he's actually going to kill them this time. And we can't do anything about it.” 

 

“What?” Percy exclaimed at the we time Vex did.

 

“Vax and Pike are going to die. And we can't save them.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. A drop into the dark

Pike woke with a pounding headache, her body hurting ten times more than it had the day previous. A thumping sound sound repeated every second, each hit increasing the pain further.

 

“Shut up Grog.” She groaned. The noise continued. “Grog, buddy? It's making my head hurt.”

 

The noise still continued. She pushed her forehead into the pillow, then slapped her hand out towards Grog. Her fingers, however, did not reach her Goliath friend but bounced of the mattress. How long had she slept in for?

 

“Grog where did you go?” She muttered voice muffled. As she moved the pillow over her ears she realised that the thumping sound seemed to be coming from inside her. The pulsing of the blood around her head. “Grog.” She groaned again. “Vax.”

 

Pike almost screamed into the fabric of the cushion. Where had they gone? She pushed her little hands into the bed clothes that covered her, and pulled her legs up underneath her. She stayed in that position for a couple of seconds, trying to persuade herself to sit up fully. Her head was still beating, pulling her off balance as she lifted her head up, instantly regretting it. The room, which was empty, seemed to spin, the light much too bright, straining her forehead further.

 

She was going to swear, but couldn't bring herself to do it, dropping her head back down onto the mattress. “Grog…” she called quietly, not even expecting him to answer, but not able to raise her voice any further. More slow this time, she opened her eyes. Sitting up too quickly just made her dizzy, she knew that now. This time she rolled to the side, in order to lay on her back, happy to be on the cooler, less sweaty side of the bed. She waited there for a little while, composing herself, then slowly pushed herself up the back of the bed, inch by inch. Eventually, she was fully sat up, the dizziness gone, but still the headache was still there, still pounding away. The room was cold now she'd moved to the other side of the bed, as she realised that she was in only underwear.

 

Pike pulled one of the many bedsheets that Scanlan had provided from the mattress and draped it over her shoulders. She dropped her legs over, then placed her feet carefully onto the floor. She arched her back, heard it snap, then thudded down onto the floor, standing up with a wobble. The room didn't spin, not as much as it had before.

 

It was a worrying feeling. She felt sick to the stomach, and she wasn't sure if that was from the illness she had caught or the feelings of anxiety. Either way, she was close to throwing up. The door seemed like it was much further away than it had been the day before, it took her twice as long to shuffle along the floor and push herself through the doorway, out into the hallway.

 

That only made her feel worse. The air smelt like vomit, and the room was brighter, it made her eyes ache and pool up with liquid. “Grog!” She called once again, hoping he would hear her. What if Grog had disappeared like the others had? She could be all alone.

 

“Oh, morning Pike!” Came the call from down the hallway. The bathroom, presumably, as that was where Pike heard it from. She sighed in relief, but the realised she didn't need to. Grog would never leave her, they were best friends.

  
  


It took Pike a while to get to the bathroom. Grog didn't come out to get her, but she wasn't expecting him to. He wasn't to know that she was feeling worse than yesterday. The bathroom smelt worse than the hallway, vomit and illness that hit her as she opened the door. The light in her eyes went white again, and she felt all the blood in her body run down to her feet, her skin go cold.

 

“Grog- shit.” She muttered out into the room, just about aware as her knees decided to stop holding her up.

  
  
  


Grog was in a difficult situation, to say the least. Vax was passed out against his chest, and Pike had just walked into the same room, but instead of offering assistance she stood in the doorway, staring in the wrong direction. She started shivering a little, then red started pooling from her nose, dripping slowly onto the floor.

 

“Pike, you okay?” He asked, careful not to wake Vax. She didn't answer. “Pike? I think y’ nose is bleedin’ again. Pike?”

 

Pike didn't turn to look at him, but whispered a very weak “Grog- shit” then started to tumble forward.  

 

The Goliath dropped the man he was holding instantly, and caught the falling cleric before she hit the ground. Her eyes lolled backwards into her head as her face paled, and her mouth opened. Grog caught her by the shoulders, stopped her from hitting the floor, and held her in his arms. “Pike? You okay?”

 

She muttered something, and buried her head into Grogs chest.

 

“What's that?”

 

“No.” She mumbled. “I can't help it.”

 

Grog moved her round so she was upright against his chest. “I dunno what that means.”

 

“I'm meant to help people.” She whispered. “And I can't.”  

 

“Cuz you're sick? You just need to get better.” Grog knew that. People always got better. The people closest to him did.

 

Pike opened her eyes, and looked up at the Goliath's face. “No, not just that. It feels like she can't hear me, like we’re drifting apart.”

 

“Who’s been listening to you?”

 

“Aw, Grog, I meant Sarenrae. My connection’s gone. And it feels like everything's going wrong. I’m not going to be any help in rescuing the others.”

 

“Yeh you will. You're a monsta!”

 

Pike didn't scream back in response to 'monsta’ in the way she would normally do. She barely gave a weak chuckle.

 

“Besides,” Grog continued, “I dunno whether we can go get em today. Vax hasn’t moved in hours.”

 

The gnome girl pulled herself up to look around the room, eyes stopping on the passed out rogue.

 

“Is that why it smells so bad in here?”

 

“Yeah. Do you need a rag or summit for your nose?”

 

Pike ran a hand along her face and stared at it, face pale and confused. “I didn't realise it was bleeding again.”

 

Grog reached around and picked up a towel. He held it out to Pike who took it gently and cradled it against herself.

 

“You need to pick him up. We can't leave him on the floor, he'll get too cold.”

 

“Back to the bedroom?” He asked her, “Then we can get some plannin’ an’ stuff done.”

 

“Of course.” She smiled, although most of her face was obstructed by the towel.

 

Grog looked down at the gnome on his lap, and the half elf on the floor, wondering what to do. Neither of them looked like they could walk by themselves, and although he couldn't see a problem with it, he was sure that Pike would object to him slinging Vax over his shoulder. And holding him upside down moving him too quickly would only make him vomit again. And Grog didn't want anymore of that on him.

 

“Do you think you could hold onto my back if I put you on my shoulders? I won't go fast or nuthin’, I promise.” he suggested.

 

Pike nodded, and slid herself off of Grog’s lap, landing on the cool floor. She took a second, placing a hand down to steady herself, blinked twice, then looked up and smiled at the Goliath.

 

Grog patted her head lightly, then turned to Vax. He dragged the half elf along the floor slowly, then pulled the limp body into his arms. “Come on then you.” He growled as he did. Before he stood up, Grog picked Pike up by the back of her shirt and lifted her onto his shoulders. “Hold on, 'kay?”

 

“Yeah, I've got it Grog.” He felt her little hands grasping onto the skin on the back of his neck.

  


Grog walked back into the room with them, placing them into the bed, and pulling The blanket over the two of them. The mattress was wet to the touch **,** moisture sticking to his palms.  

 

“Sorry.” Pike whispered, pulling the duvet further over herself. “I must have been too hot last night.”

 

“S’okay. I get too hot as well sometimes. I forget how much you can sweat.”

 

“Yeah, well you know what they say.” She laughed weakly, “I'm a monster.”

 

“Are you gonna go back to sleep? I could go get some food from Scanlan's servants or summit?” Grog offered, sitting down onto the bed with a thump.

 

Pike smiled, sitting up a little bit more. “No -it's okay- I'm not hungry. Besides, we don't have much longer left before the mansion disappears, and we need to leave as soon as we can, before something bad happens to everybody else.”

 

“Yeah. We need them back.” Grog wasn't sure whether they could. Not today, anyway. He could always go by himself, but he knew Pike wouldn't let him. “What do y’ suggest?”

 

“We’ll need to get walking, find where they've been taken to.  And I guess it depends on that. I don't know really, it's getting more difficult to think straight.”

 

“We're just as good at planning as we normally are then.” Came a mumble from the previously unconscious half elf, not lifting his face up from the pillow.

 

Grog tapped him on the shoulder. “When did you wake up?”

 

“When you dropped me on the bed, asshole.” He groaned.  

 

“Oh, sorry 'bout that.” The goliath laughed, then stopped after a stern look from Pike. “Are you gonna throw up again?”

 

“Not unless I move.”

 

“Don't then. You got any ideas?”

 

Vax sighed. “Get Kiki and my sister back? As soon as we can move.”

 

Pike lifted his hair that was curtaining the side of his face up. “You look really pale Vax.”

 

He looked at her through hooded eyes. “So do you, Pickle. This is fucking shit.”

 

“I don't know how to deal with it.” Pike muttered, stroking a hand through his hair. “Grog, can you get us some water? I would go, but I don't think I-”

 

The barbarian stood up, and rolled his shoulders back.  “Yeah, I'll get it. Whatever ya want, Pike.” He strode out, shutting the door behind him once again.

  
  


As Grog left the room he held a hand out for a high five to one of Scanlan's ethereal servants (who didn't high five back), then walked into the kitchen, grabbing a chicken leg and a pitcher of water. He chewed the meat as he filled up the jug, picking it clean with his teeth and chucking the bone behind him onto the floor. It wasn't like there was anybody to tell him off for it anyway. He picked the grease off his hand before picking up a couple of glasses and heading back to the bedroom.

 

Or he would have, had he not been preoccupied by the front door.

 

It was almost taunting him. He knew that that door was the last thing his friends- his family- saw before they were taken. Where he had stood a day earlier and been unable to find where they were. A door that would also, in a few hours, disappear.

 

Anything could be outside of of it. That was a problem with the mansion, there was no easy way to check the surroundings without letting yourself be seen. But being invisible was never a precaution Grog thought necessary. The twins, and to a lesser extent, Scanlan, had that covered. Or at least they did. They were kidnapped because they didn't know something was outside, so they obviously hadn't taken that precaution.

 

They were unaware. And Grog didn't want to be taken unaware when the mansion inevitably ran out of time or magic or whatever it was, he wasn’t sure. He just knew that it didn't last.

 

He took four large steps towards the door staring it down in a threatening way, and kicked it open with his foot, still holding the water and glasses in his hands.

 

The cave looked the same as it had done before. Dark, grey, a cool air that blew through in a draft, droplets of water that had condensed on the cavern walls.

 

Then Grog was sure he saw something move in the shadows. Just in the corner of his eye, a quick change in the light.

 

He stuck his head out a little further and looked around.

 

Nothing.

 

No more movement.

 

It was probably fine, nothing to worry about. A bat or something- he could have even been coming down with the illness that Pike and Vax had.

 

Even if there was a foe there, he didn't want to fight without Pike. He knew she was sick, but if there was something magic he would be in trouble. He needed Pike's assistance.

  
  


The Goliath shut the door, and hummed a jolly tune to distract himself as he made his way back into the bedroom.

 

Pike was sat up against the headboard, hand on Vax’s shoulder blades, the half elf still sprawled dramatically in the same position. “You took a while, Grog.” She raised an eyebrow at him.

 

“Yeah-” he explained, “I got some food, an’ then I had to find the water.”

 

Pike frowned. “Really? Is that all?”

 

“Yeah.” He mumbled, looking down to try and hide the fact he was lying. Lying to Pike was much too hard, especially when she gave him her mum-look.

 

That exact look was what she was giving Grog at that very moment. “Grog.” Her voice elongated as she spoke his name. “You know I don't believe you. Are you going to tell me what really happened? I won't be angry.”

 

He was about to give in, knowing he couldn't out do Pike, and that he didn't want to upset her, but was stopped before he could say a word by a cough from the small gnome girl.

 

It was ratchety, and loud in the way it echoed through the room. After that cough followed another, and another, seemingly out of nowhere.

Vax shot straight up, worried look upon his face, and changed his glance between Pike and Grog. “Fuck, Pickle? You okay?”   

 

She coughed again, and nodded her head as she gasped for air.  

 

Grog looked down to the pitcher and glasses in his hands, and poured her some water quickly. He offered it to her, but as she reached out her hands shook, and a little bit of the liquid spilt onto the bed. He instead put the glass to her lips, and poured a little water into her mouth, forcing her to concentrate on her breathing and stop coughing.

 

She took a few sips before pulling away and letting her head loll to one side. “I didn't even realise I could make a sound like that.” She croaked.

 

“Me neither.” Grog agreed, secretly glad that she wasn't going to follow up on their previous conversation. He didn't want to hide things from Pike, but he didn't want to stress her out either. “You sound fucking weird now.”

 

“Does it?” She replied, chuckling a little at the sound of her own voice. She still looked tired, though, and sounded in pain.

 

“Do you need more water?” Grog suggested, holding out the glass to her. She took it, holding it in two tiny, shaking hands. “Vax? You need some too?”

 

To the other side of Pike, the now sat up Vax was slowly turning a deeper and deeper shade of green.

 

“You're gonna chuck up again, aren’t you?”

 

He didn't move, just looked up at Grog with the same sad eyes. Pike shuffled to the side a little, knowing she couldn't deal with whatever was about to happen without throwing up herself.

 

The Goliath put the glass down onto the floor, and pulled the cover off of the half elf, who immediately started shivering and gagging.  The girl to his side was also turning a similar shade of green, and pushed her face into the blankets, looking away.

 

“Come on then.” Grog lifted Vax over his shoulder. “Back to the bathroom.”

 

Vax's still shirtless chest was hot against Grog's skin, yet he still shivered relentlessly, hiccupping into the tall man's chest.

 

The cleric, who had bundled herself deeper into blankets coughed again, hands clasping onto the material. She coughed once more before expelling the contents of her stomach into her lap, just visible to Grog as liquid dribbled down her chin. She continued coughing and spluttering, whilst Vax was still gagging into Grog.

 

“Aw, shit.”  

 

He barely got more than a word out before Vax also vomited, this time all the way down Grog's torso.

 

“Yuck. Don't vomit again 'till we’re in the bathroom. You just set each other off.” The barbarian picked up Pike, who carried the blankets with her still, and placed her over his other shoulder, facing the other way to Vax.

  
  


He took them into the bathroom, sat them on the floor, and started filling the sink with water. Parenting wasn't his role, it never had been, but he was always ready to step up to a challenge. Pike had a blank look to her chalky pale face, blue eyes looking off into nothingness. She didn't respond as Grog used a towel to clean her chin, a single tear ran down her cheek as she leaned backwards against the wall.

 

Vax was still shivering, sobbing once again. Grog wiped his face too, then chucked the towel behind him. “You cold?”

 

“No.” Vax answered, although still shivering violently.

 

“Want anythin’?” He asked them both. Neither replied. This was just getting worse and worse for Grog. “You’re really sick, ain't you?”

 

He didn't have anything to deal with that. “Could you cast summit Pike?”

 

“Not right now.” She whispered, not making eye contact. “Keyleth can.”

 

“So we just need to get to Keyleth and this will stop, right?”

 

“I hope so.” She mumbled, looking like she instantly regretted it as another cough racked up from her chest.  Grog was ready to pick her up and place her next to the toilet, put it wasn't needed because the sputtering died down, and her eyes shut slowly. “Vax you need to drink something. You'll be vomiting up nothing but bile.” She explained, eyes shut. Pike still took care of them, even if she couldn't take care of herself.

 

He shook his head, but Pike wouldn't have seen it. Grog, however, knew that his gnome friend was always right, and water would make things better. So he left the room for a few moments and returned with a glass, filling it up in the bathroom sink.

 

“'ere you go.”

 

Vax didn't take it.

 

“Come on, don't be fussy.” Grog pressed the glass into his hands, but the half elf didn't clasp his fingers round. “Fine. Drama queen. If you're not gonna I’ll just give it to you.”

 

Pike, still with eyes shut and face to the ceiling, spoke out to Grog. “Don't drink more than sips.”

 

It was difficult to get him to drink even that. Lips pressed tightly shut so that Grog had to force the cup into his mouth and pour a little water in. “Drink it.” He ordered.

 

Perhaps it was exhaustion, but Vax didn't even try and fight back against the order. He swallowed the tiny bit of liquid down, took down a little more, then pushed the glass away with a sweaty hand.

 

“Better. Thanks.” He mumbled, shortly before coughing all the water back up onto Grog.

 

The goliath wiped his own chest down with the towel he had thrown behind him, and stared down the half elf who neither looked proud or apologetic. “You might wanna consider the direction you face when you chuck up.”

 

He shrugged, and slid down the wall to be lying down on the cooler floor, still shivering. “This is shit.”

 

“We need to get to Keyleth.” Pike agreed, starting to shiver as well.

 

“We’ll set off when the mansion disappears.” Grog wanted to wait until the sickness passed, but he wasn't particularly experienced with diseases, and he didn't know how long they'd have to leave the others in danger.

 

“We’ll be okay.” Pike stated, toppling over onto her side.

  
  


Grog spent the next four hours holding hair back and wiping faces. As soon as one of them got going, the other would set off too, which just made things worse. Then Vax would cry for his sister, or Pike would start bleeding from her nose again and the barbarian would have to run to another bathroom to find a towel that didn't have vomit on it. The room was hot and sweaty, uncomfortable even for Grog, who was neither ill or bothered by things like that normally.  He was hungry, and cooped up in a room, forced into looking after people. At least he was proving something to himself, he was more than just a fighting machine. But he didn't like this situation. This was bad, and getting worse.

 

Just as it seemed the two of them had finally settled and fallen asleep using Grog as support, he shut his eyes for two seconds, trying to keep himself still. Then there was that same tingly feeling that he got when somebody casts a spell on him.

 

And then they were sat in a cave.

 

It took him a few moments to work out what had happened. All their belongings that didn't stay in the mansion were scattered on the floor around them- the bag of holding, various bits of armour, his weapons. The air was, relative to the bathroom, a lot fresher, but still stuffy. They were still underground. At first Grog was sure that they'd been transported somewhere by an evil wizard with powers that he could never understand, but then remembered what happened to the mansion after some time.

 

Pike stated coughing once again and Grog patted her head to comfort her. The three of them were alone, and back in the cave system. It was time to begin the rescue mission. Or at least to attempt it. He just hoped that he hadn't seen a person there a few hours earlier. Because that person would be about to get a hammer to their face.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back dudes! Updates will be late and unscheduled as ever!!


	8. Listen for some hope

“Vex? Percy?” Keyleth called again, as she had done repeatedly for the past hour. They had stopped talking to her after a while, she couldn't be sure why, but she knew they couldn't hear her calls unless they were both pressed against the bars of the prison cell. Which they weren't, and hadn't been for a while. She still tried though, just hoping that they would answer back.

 

They had probably gone to sleep or something. Percy had been hurt too. Keyleth couldn't go to sleep, not whilst Scanlan was still out. She didn't like the idea of all of them being unaware, somebody needed to protect them. Even if she didn't have the magic that she needed. She would try, even if it meant hitting something around the head with a bed post. She wasn't strong, she dextrous. She wasn’t much good with anything really that wasn't nature related. And this place was anything but natural.

 

She had laid Scanlan down on the rags of the bed, stopped the bleeding on his head as best as she could, and sat on the floor by the door as she waited. And she cried. She didn’t want Vax and Pike to die. She didn't want to be sold to somebody that wanted her. They had all forgotten about hotis, and she had forgotten how clever he was. How manipulative he was. How persistent he was to hurt those who hurt him.

 

Keyleth had to escape. She loved them, she had to save them. But how could she, when she couldn't needed saving herself. Scanlan needed saving. Vex and Percy needed saving. What was she meant to do?

 

The tears wouldn't stop coming. When it had started they were more panicked, quicker and frantic. Now they just ran down her face slowly and quietly. She didn't cry a lot. Not that much. Only when people died. Or when things were truly hopeless. This was a mix of both.

 

“Vex? Percy?” She tried again. She knew she wasn't loud enough for them to hear her, but she called out anyway. Keyleth wanted to break the silence, wanted to not be alone when Hotis inevitably returned.

 

They didn't answer. That wasn't surprising. She pressed her face against the metal, cheeks distorting with the cool bars. She wondered whether Grog could break them, if he tried hard enough. But it would be difficult for even him, they were definitely reinforced, and possibly enchanted with the same thing that stopped her magic from working.

 

She couldn't think of a way out. She wasn't good at planning. She wanted something else to think of, some hope, but there was nothing. She was alone. There was nothing. They were all going to die and-

 

“Keyleth?” The voice interrupted her thoughts. She was thankful for it. “Where are we?”

 

“Scanlan! You're awake! Oh thank you!” She ran, legs slipping awkwardly on the stone floor and pulled him into a tight hug. “How are you? Does your head hurt? Can you remember what happened?”

 

“Yes- I can vaguely remember- and my head hurts like shit. But where is this? Where are Vex and Percy? And that bear?” He looked through half lidded eyes, head turning in Keyleth's grasp as he tried to understand his surroundings.

 

Keyleth let go of him, and placed him back down onto the bed. “I’m not sure really. We're in the underdark still- the mindflayer fort, remember? Vex and Percy are in the cell next to us. But Hotis was here and he’s made some deal with the mindflayer and the dueregar, and we're going to be sold, and Vax and Pike-”

 

“Pike? Is Pike here too?”

 

“No- no she's not. The other three are still out there somewhere. But he's going to kill them Scanlan. They're not going to be able to rescue us.”

 

“Why are we still here then. You can get us out of here, cast stone shape and I’ll fly us right out?” The gnome explained, sitting up and leaning against the far wall.

 

Keyleth whimpered slightly. “We can't cast spells here.” She explained.

 

Scanlan turned a little paler. “Well. That's not good.”

 

“No.” She put her head into her hands.

  
  


“I shouldn't fucking be here.” Scanlan muttered under his breath, but still audible to Keyleth as she hid her face. “I can't be here right now.”

 

“I don't think any of us want to be here now.” She certainly didn't want to be there. Why would anybody want to be locked up?

 

“No, I know we all hate this.” Scanlan sighed. “It's just- this is so stupid. Why do we always get into such stupid situations.”

 

Keyleth didn't point out that quite a lot of the reason that they had ended up here had been Scanlan's fault. He had been so sure that there was nothing there, so certain that Percy was wrong, that he'd put himself into danger to prove a point. And he had gotten them all into trouble because of it. Of course, the fault was shared. She shouldn't have given into their threats, because if they were planning on selling him, they wouldn't have killed Percy there and then. And she was no use in the prison, without any magic.

 

“We've always got into stupid situations?” She pointed out, even though she knew that this one wasn't even stupid. This one was hopeless.

 

Scanlan grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands away from her face. “I have a daughter, Keyleth. I can't die.”

 

“We've all got family-”

 

“No, Keyleth. My daughter. I promised her I wouldn't die, and I'm done with breaking promises.” He stated, almost angrily.

 

“Then we’ll get out of here. Maybe-” Keyleth was going to try and think of a point, but couldn't. It didn't matter anyway, because Scanlan interrupted her.

 

“We can try, I know. We’ll always try.” He sighed. “We’ve still been in worse than this. We put ourselves through so much.”

 

“Are you angry?” Keyleth asked. She was getting better, but she still wasn't the best with reading emotions.

 

Scanlan looked up at her with sad brown eyes. “No. Kinda. Not at you, not at this. I just regret some things.”

 

Keyleth looked at him, mouth open a tiny bit, but silent.

 

“Nevermind.” He let go of her wrists. “We don't talk that much, do we?”

 

“You don't talk to anybody much. Not about feelings and stuff like that. You know?”

 

He smirked “That's just how I roll Kiki.”

 

“Don't you want to talk?”

 

“I'm not much good at talking.”

 

That was an odd thing for Scanlan to say, because if there was one thing Scanlan excelled at, it was his use of words. People had told Keyleth all her life that she wasn't good at talking, and she'd learnt to accept that. It wasn't a skill of hers. But Scanlan, Scanlan was the best at talking. He taught her, taught her how to be a leader, taught her how to conceal her lies, taught her how to be harder to read.

 

Scanlan was very hard to read.

 

“Kaylie will be okay. She's your daughter, she'll wait for you. She won't mind that you got into trouble.”

 

“I guess.” He muttered, looking away. “Did you see any way out on the way here? Are we underground or high up?”

 

“I wasn't really looking. I was a bit distracted. But high up, I think.”

 

“We can work with that. Can we talk to Vex and Percival?”

 

“If you shout loud enough, but they're not answering right now.”

 

Scanlan smiled. “You're worried, aren't you?”

 

“Aren't we all?” Keyleth muttered, voice wavering slightly at the end of her sentence.

 

“We’ll get out. For Kaylie. And for Vax and Pike. And we’ll take Percy and Vex with us.”

 

Keyleth was still unsure. Scanlan had a new aura of determination, but was still lacking any sort of a plan. It was all well and good wanting to do something. But they needed to know how to do it.

 

The bard seemed to notice her confused look. “Okay, I don't know how yet. But we’ll work it out. We’ve got to.”

 

“I guess.” She found herself yawning as she agreed with him. “You were passed out for a long time.”

 

“That thing hit me hard. Whatever it was. Do you need to sleep?”

 

She nodded. “Can you wake me up if anything happens?”

 

“Will do.” Scanlan grabbed the flute that was tucked into his belt and played a soft note. “Still works.” He pointed out, as he moved over to the other side of the bed to allow Keyleth to lie down.

  
  
  


The druid pulled the rags over herself, and shut her eyes. The tune that Scanlan played was soft but sad, yet Keyleth was grateful for it. She was able to concentrate on the music instead of the thoughts in her brain, the notes slowly pulling her deeper and deeper into the sleep she didn't know that she craved. Deeper and deeper until she couldn't hear the music anymore.

 

She wasn't aware that she was dreaming. It didn't feel like a dream, it wasn't a nightmare like the ones she had experienced before. No, this was something different.

 

Keyleth wasn't anywhere that she recognised, but it felt familiar. It felt like home. She lay in a bed of leaves, green vines encasing her like a hand. Gentle. Natural. Sounds of woodland: birds cawing, wind brushing through branches, water flowing through a quiet brook. She sat for a second, breathing in the fresh air, looked around at the beautiful surroundings.

 

“Keyleth.”

 

There was a whisper, but it didn't seem to come from any direction. Feminine and powerful. Omnipresent.

 

Keyleth looked around to see where the voice was coming from. She saw nothing but the forest until her eyes settled to a forward position again. Standing in front of was a woman, giant get not threatening, who seemed to be part of the plants. She emanated beauty, power pulsing through her as the leaves moved to make space for her.

 

Keyleth wasn't scared of her. She didn't seem like a threat. She almost felt familiar, as if she had felt her presence before. Despite this, Keyleth couldn't make words form in her mouth. Something overpowered her, the overwhelmingness of the woman making her lips tremble slightly and her throat go dry.

 

“I have an eye on you, child.” The woman nodded her head and leaned in closer to Keyleth. “We have an eye on all of you.”

  
  


Everything disappeared in an instance, the trees folding in on her like a book and the sound of an explosion brought her back into the room. She sat up with a shock, ready to hit back in anyway against the attacker.

 

“Wha- what?” She cried out, holding her hands in front of her face.

 

“Ah. Sorry Keyleth, in hindsight, we probably should have warned you about that.” Percy’s voice filtered through into her ear. Much louder and less muffled than before.

 

She ran up to the wall and placed her hand around a tiny hole that had been made, just about big enough that she could see one of Percy's blue eyes.

 

“I wish you’d given me a little more warning dear, there's black powder everywhere.” Vex's voice was also louder, but still not that clear from the other side of the wall.

 

“Okay.” Scanlan spoke, standing as close to the new gap in the wall as he could. “Can we try that on one of the outer walls? And also make it quieter whilst you're at it.”

 

“I can certainly try.” Percy muttered, then the slight sound of movement was just about heard.

 

Scanlan turned to Keyleth. “Did you get some sleep? You've must have been real tired, you were there for a while.”

 

“Was I?” She didn't feel as if she had had much sleep.

 

“God, you look pale as shit, are you okay?”

 

“I think I just had a weird dream, that's all.” Keyleth walked over to the metal bars and pressed her face against them, checking whether anything had changed. “Has anything happened?”

 

“Nothing. We're trying to see how strong the walls are. Very, apparently.”

 

But they were making progress. They could get out. Things were not hopeless.

 

Another rumble came from the cell next to them, then a shout. “This wall’s stronger. I don't stand much chance of getting through it with the powder I've got left.”

“Is it weakened at all Percy?” Keyleth questioned.

 

“Sorry what was that?” The human called through, pressing his face up to the gap.

 

“Is it weakened at all?” She repeated herself.

 

“A little.”

 

“Try the earring.” She blurted out, with suddenly even more hope.

 

Keyleth listened as Vex called her brother's name and asked for him to answer multiple times. Percy and her then tried together asking for both Grog and Pike.

 

“Nothing?” Scanlan asked.

 

“Maybe they're in the mansion?” Keyleth suggested.

 

The gnome shook his head. “The mansion’s gone. It only lasts a day. They're on their own.”

 

“No- no quiet.” Percy ordered. “Did you hear that Vex?”

 

Keyleth could practically hear the half elf’s smile. “Yes! Vax?” The ranger tried again.

 

“We can't hear anything.” Scanlan pointed out. “Did somebody answer?”

 

Percy cleared his throat. “Not quite. There's a static, a little bit of some voice coming through, I can't work out who. Vex'ahlia, dear, would you try and cast a spell for me?”

 

There was a slight pause, Keyleth and Scanlan kept silent, just waiting.

 

Percy was the first to speak again. “We can work with that.”

 

“Again, Percival, can you explain-” Scanlan asked once again.

 

“Sorry, yes. Not a spell, per se, but better than before. We’re getting somewhere.”

 

“Do you think if you can get through the whole wall then we will be able to cast spells and escape?” Keyleth questioned, remembering to raise her voice a little for the other room.

 

“Theoretically yes, but I've got two problems.”

 

“Which are…” Scanlan encouraged.

 

The gunslinger sighed, and his voice was quoted which suggested he was facing the other way. “Firstly, it won't last. The rakshasa will return, and a big hole in the wall will be spotted. I'm surprised they've not walked in yet.And secondly, I don't have nearly enough black powder. I have enough for one more small explosion, but it will be small and probably inefficient.”

 

“But we're getting somewhere.” Keyleth repeated, putting emphasis on the ‘somewhere’.

 

“Yes, we are. Better than yesterday.” Percy explained.

 

Vex's voice came through the wall. She sounded a little disappointed still, Keyleth assumed she had gotten her hopes up that her brother would answer her. “Are you doing okay Keyleth? Still calm?”

 

“Kinda, yeah.” She had stopped crying, so at least on the outside she appeared calmer.

 

“I'm going to save the black powder.” Percy interrupted, not giving the two girls any time for conversation. “We may still find a better use for it.”

 

“And the glory hole in the wall doesn't need to be any bigger.” Scanlan joked, “Grog isn't here.”

  


Nobody laughed at him. Keyleth was a little confused, and Vex and Percy gave an joint sigh.

“Pike and Grog would have found that funny.” The druid heard him mumble as he plonked himself onto the bed, and pulled out his flute, starting to play a tune, the same one that Keyleth had fallen asleep to.

 

“That's really pretty.” Keyleth pointed out. “What is it?”

 

“Just something my mother taught me, the first song I learnt.” He explained, the corners or his mouth twitching as he did, then her went back to playing the music

 

Keyleth sat down on the stone and crossed her legs, and watched Scanlan as he played, watched as his eyes shut, and he started to sway along with the sad tune. She sat perfectly still and silence, watching the performance, until he stopped, and ended on one long note. She clapped, eyes wide with wonder. It really was beautiful, Scanlan's music.

 

“Keyleth?” Came Percy's voice. “Can you keep it a little quieter, we’re trying to think here.”

 

She stopped clapping, and placed her hands on her knees. She had forgotten where they were, for just a moment. Forgotten that anything was happening around her but the sound of the music. It all hit her again like a tidal wave, and she was brought back to the thought of her dream.

 

“Do you think the Gods have power over us Scanlan?”

 

Scanlan put his flute down. “I guess. Why?”

 

“I never believed in them before. I mean- I knew they were there, but I didn't trust them, they never seemed to do anything. Not big anyway.” She explained, as best as she could. “Then Pike died, and the power of the Gods brought her back. But it felt like it was us bringing her back. Sarenrae didn't do it herself, we never saw her.”

 

“What's the point you're getting to here?”

 

“After Vex died, and Vax became the champion of the raven queen, he got all religious. She spoke to him, face to face. She was watching him, in particular. He dreams of her sometimes, speaks of her- to her- in his sleep. I hear it. She watches him, so she watched us. She helps him.”

 

Scanlan nodded, but looked a little confused.

 

“What about other Gods? Do you think Sarenrae notices Pike now? Do you think she cares for her more now that she's so powerful? And what about the rest of us? Were some of the most powerful forces in this world. Maybe other Gods want the rest of us as champions?”

 

Percy scoffed from the other room. “Never again.” He stated. “I'm done with Gods.”

 

“But what if the Gods aren't done with you?”

 

“I don't think the Gods have even started with any of us, darling.” Vex answered.

 

Keyleth shut her eyes and tried to remember what the woman in her dream looked like. Whether she was just making this feeling up. But it was a vision, it felt like a scrying spell but inside out, something was scrying on her, yet she could see them as they watched. It had to be real, it was too realistic to be just a dream. And the woman felt like a God. She felt so powerful.

 

“Where did this come from Keyleth?” Scanlan asked.

 

“Nowhere. I was just thinking about things.”

 

“About Gods?” he questioned, sounding as if he didn't believe her.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I think we're going to need a little more than a  God's love to get out of this one.” He joked. “And what's one God to Vox Machina anyway?”

 

She didn't answer, looked down at the floor, then back up at Scanlan again. “Will you play another song?”

 

“Of course.” He played one note to clear his flute, then started to play music.

 

Keyleth shut her eyes and felt everything around her in her mind. She put herself back in the forest from her dreams, the same bed of leaves, and wondered whether the Gods really did care.

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
